WI7EKSIT7 


ft    * 


NARRATIVE 


OP  A 


MISSION    TO    BOKHARA, 


IN    THE    YEARS   1843—1845, 


TO  ASCERTAIN 


THE  FATE  OF  COLONEL  STODDART  AND 
CAPTAIN  CONOLLY; 


BY  THE 


REV.  JOSEPH  WOLFF,  D.D.,  LL.D. 


NEW  YORK: 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  82  CLIFF  STREET. 

1845.       (^ 


TO 

HIS  EXCELLENCY  SIR  STRATFORD  CANNING, 

BRITISH  AMBASSADOR  AT  CONSTANTINOPLE, 

WHOSE   SINCERE    FRIENDSHIP,   DISTINGUISHED   PRO- 
TECTION,   AND    KIND    HOSPITALITY,    I    AM 
PROUD    TO    ACKNOWLEDGE ; 

TO 

CAPTAIN    GROVER, 

MY  WARM   AND   ZEALOUS   FRIEND,    THE   PRESIDENT   OF   THE 
STODDART    AND    CONOLLY    COMMITTEE; 

AND   TO 

THE  GENTLEMEN  OF  THAT  COMMITTEE, 

EQUALLY    ESTIMABLE    FOR    THEIR    TRUE    ENGLISH    PHILAN- 
THROPY   AND    CHRISTIAN    COMMISERATION    FOR 

THEIR  BRETHREN  IN  DISTRESS 
AND  IMPRISONMENT; 

I  DEDICATE  THE  FOLLOWING  PAGES. 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 


PREFACE. 


FEW  words  will  suffice  to  lay  so  simple  a  story  as  the  causes 
which  led  to  the  production  of  the  Work  now  before  the  public. 
In  1843  I  undertook,  at  the  desire  of  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly 
Committee,  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  these  officers.  It  will,  I  trust, 
appear  that  I  have  realized  what  I  then  undertook.  I  claim  no 
further  merit  than  having  kept  my  word  to  them.  They  supplied 
me  with  pecuniary  means  to  undertake  the  journey.  I  have  to 
thank  the  Foreign  Office  for  furthering  the  object  I  had  in  view, 
by  all  points  short  of  making  me  a  British  Envoy.  The  exertions 
of  the  Envoy  at  Teheraun,  it  will  be  seen,  in  procuring  a  letter 
from  the  Shah,  saved  my  life.  I  owe  that,  undoubtedly,  twice  to 
the  friendly  Power  of  Persia.  It  will  be  further  fully  apparent, 
from  the  letters  of  Colonel  Sheil,  our  Envoy  at  Teheraun,  that  he 
dared  not  venture  on  writing  to  me,  since  that  step  would  proba- 
bly have  occasioned  my  death ;  so  that  my  danger  at  Bokhara 
may  be  distinctly  gathered  from  that  circumstance  alone. 

I  have  to  acknowledge  on  my  wanderings,  the  kindness  of  Ad- 
miral Sir  Edward  Owen,  Sir  Patrick  Stuart  at  Matya,  Mr.  Ste- 
vens at  Erzroom,  my  generous  and  noble-minded  friend  Colonel 
Williams,  Mr.  James  Brant,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Redhouse ;  and 
also  that  of  Colonel  Sheil  at  Teheraun.  But  most  especially  must 
I  thank  Sir  Stratford  and  Lady  Canning,  for  their  great  kindness 
during  my  stay  at  Constantinople  :  nor  must  I  omit  to  mention 
Their  Excellencies  Count  and  Countess  Sturmer,  Count  Von  Me- 
dem,  and  Monsieur  Titow. 

For  the  quietude  of  soul  of  the  friends  of  those  murdered  offi- 
cers, Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  I  have  to  observe  that 
they  were  both  of  them  cruelly  slaughtered  at  Bokhara,  after  en- 
during agonies  from  confinement  in  prison  of  the  most  fearful 
character ;  masses  of  their  flesh  having  been  gnawn  off  their  bones 
by  vermin,  in  1843.  The  cause  of  these  foul  atrocities  being  prac- 
tised on  them,  the  positive  agent  of  their  entire  misery,  was  the 
Nayeb  of  Nasir"  Ullah  Behadur,  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  ABDUL  SA- 


VI  PREFACE. 

MUT  KHAN.  I  charge  on  that  pretended  friend  of  the  English 
nation  this  foul  atrocity.  I  wish  that  this  open  declaration  of 
mine  should  find  insertion  in  the  Persian  newspapers  published  at 
Lahore  and  Delhi.  I  wish  it  to  reach  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  in 
order  that  that  Sovereign,  whose  ear  has  been  much  abused  by 
that  foul  miscreant,  should  perceive  that  he  has  been  led  to  act 
under  false  and  erroneous  impressions  with  regard  to  the  real  ob- 
jects at  heart  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  and  that 
Abdul  Samut  Khan  intended  to  have  added  me  to  their  bloody 
graves.  I  appeal  to  his  understanding,  whether  a  letter  from  Eng- 
land then  received  from  any  of  our  Authorities,  would  not  also 
probably  have  led  me,  a  simple  traveller,  to  share  the  fate  of  these 
Diplomatic  Agents  of  England.  I  assert  that  Abdul  Samut  Khan, 
the  Nayeb,  wished  me  further  to  give  him  thirty  thousand  tillahs, 
to  effect  the  death  of  the  very  Sovereign  who  has  so  highly  hon- 
oured him.  These  are  grave  charges, — let  the  Persian  come  into 
the  lists  and  disprove  them. 

In  the  progress  of  this  Work,  I  have  to  acknowledge  my  obliga- 
tions to  Professor  Haughton,  for  the  translation  of  a  valuable  Per- 
sian paper  in  the  Appendix,  written  by  Captain  Conolly :  to  the 
Reverend  H.  G.  Williams,  for  the  translation  of  the  paper  of  my 
Mirza,  Abdul  Wahab :  to  Major  Ouseley,  for  the  translation  of 
several  letters :  to  Professor  Forbes,  for  aid  in  the  Narrative  of 
Abdul  Wahab :  to  the  Reverend  C.  J.  Smith,*  and  my  friend  the 
Reverend  Christopher  Bird,  Rector  of  High  Hoyland,  for  their 
united  exertions  in  a  valuable  digest  of  a  portion  of  the  Oriental 
Liturgies. 

To  Mr.  Vigne  I  have  also  to  return  my  thanks  for  the  Portraits 
of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  and  Muhammed  Shah  Nakshbande.  Also 
to  Mr.  Frank  Macnaghten,  brother-in-law  of  Captain  Conolly,  for 
his  care  of  my  son  during  my  absence. 

But  most  of  all  are  my  acknowledgments  due  to  my  excellent, 
kind-hearted,  and  learned  friend  the  Reverend  J.  W.  Worthington, 
D.D.,  who  arranged  and  corrected  most  kindly  the  whole  of  my 
Narrative,  and  took  besides  such  a  warm  and  brotherly  interest  in 
my  welfare  as  I  never,  never  can  forget. 

June  30^,  1845. 

*  The  portion  of  this  gentleman's  labours  forms  APPENDIX  No.  I. 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  1. 

Mysterious  state  of  the  Pagan  World.  Life  of  Dr.  Wolff:  converted  to  Christiani- 
ty ;  banished  from  Rome ;  begins  his  Missionary  Labours  in  1821.  From  1821 
to  1826,  occupied  hi  Missions  among  the  Jews  in  Palestine,  Egypt,  Mesopotamia, 
Persia,  Crimea,  Georgia,  and  Ottoman  Empire.  From  1826  to  1830,  similarly 
occupied  in  Ireland,  Holland,  and  the  Mediterranean  ;  commences  a  fresh  Mis- 
sion in  1831.  In  Asia  Minor  meets  with  Armenians ;  passes  thence  to  Kurdis- 
taun.  Adventures  with  the  Head  Tearer,  Muhammed  Kale  Khan  Kerahee.  Is 
made  a  Slave ;  saved  from  Captivity  by  Abbas  Mirza.  Arrives  at  Meshed ; 
goes  to  Sarakhs,  Mowr,  Karakol,  and  Bokhara,  where  he  is  well  treated  by  the 
Ameer.  Crosses  the  Oxus  to  Balkh  ;  thence  to  Peshawr ;  enters  the  Punjaub  ; 
proceeds  to  Simlah.  Kindly  received  by  Lord  and  Lady  W.  Bentinck.  Crosses 
into  Cashmeer ;  Conversation  with  Fakeers,  Brahmins,  and  Muhammedans. 
Reaches  Delhi ;  then  Agra.  Cawnpore  ;  meets  here  with  Lieutenant  Conolly ; 
Kindness  of  Lieutenant  Conolly.  Lucknow ;  disputes  with  the  Muhammedan 
Mullahs  before  the  King  of  Oude.  Benares  ;  Remarks  on  the  Buddhists.  Visits 
Calcutta ;  Masulipatam  ;  Hyderabad.  Seized  with  Cholera  Morbus.  Reaches 
Madras ;  Trichinopoly  ;  Cochin  ;  meets  here  with  Black  and  White  Jews.  Goa ; 
Poonah  ;  Bombay  ;  Mocha  ;  Jiddah  ;  Suez  ;  Cairo.  Reaches  Malta,  March  20th, 
1834.  Prepares  his  Travels  for  Publication Page  23 


CHAPTER  II. 

Embarks  from  Malta  for  England,  March,  1835.  Leaves  England  for  another  Mis- 
sion, October,  1835.  Proceeds  to  Malta ;  Alexandria ;  Rosetta ;  Cairo.  From 
Cairo  to  Mount  Sinai.  Monastery  of  St.  Catherine  ;  Trappist  M.  J.  de  Geramb. 
March  29,  1836,  at  Tor;  thence  to  Suez.  Embarks  for  Jiddah.  Proceeds  to 
Mosawah  on  the  African  coast.  Adventures  in  Abyssinia ;  Languages,  Chronol- 
ogy, and  Religion  of  that  Country.  Zaasega  ;  Tigre  ;  Axum ;  Gondar ;  Mount 
Senafe ;  Mount  Halay.  Return  to  Jiddah.  Jeisaun ;  Beduins.  Beni  Hobab. 
Shereef  Aboo  Mesameer;  his  Cruelty.  Loheya.  Ibrahim  Pasha.  Saneef. 
Proceeds  to  Sanaa.  Meets  with  the  Rechabites ;  their  kind  treatment  of  him. 
Saves  the  Caravan  from  being  pillaged.  Jews  of  Yemen.  Sanaa.  Beaten  by 
the  Wahabites.  Reaches  Mocha.  Attacked  with  Typhus  Fever.  Embarks  for 
Bombay ;  proceeds  thence  to  the  United  States  of  North  America.  New  York ; 


Vlii  CONTENTS. 

enters  tne  Anglo-Catholic  Church ;  ordained  Deacon  by  Bishop  Doane.  Indians 
not  proved  to  be  Descendants  of  the  lost  Ten  Tribes.  Leaves  New  York,  January 
2nd,  1838.  Arrives  in  England ;  receives  Priest's  Orders  of  the  Lord  Bishop  of 
Dromore  ;  takes  the  Incumbency  of  Linthwaite,  Yorkshire  ...  43 


CHAPTER  III. 

Quits  Linthwaite  for  the  Curacy  of  High  Hoyland.  Hears  of  the  Imprisonment  of 
his  Friend  Conolly  at  Bokhara.  Writes  to  his  Family,  offering  to  proceed  thither 
in  1842.  Leaves  High  Hoyland.  Receives  from  his  Congregation  a  Testimonial 
of  Respect.  Puts  a  Letter  in  the  Morning  Herald,  July,  1843,  stating  his  willing- 
ness to  go  to  Bokhara  ;  Captain  Grover  replies  to  it.  Dr.  Wolff  goes  with  his 
Family  to  Bruges.  Correspondence  with  Captain  Grover.  Arrives  in  England. 
Interview  with  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Committee.  Public  Meeting  convened: 
Address  of  Dr.  Wolff;  Speech  of  the  Chairman,  Sir  J.  Bryant,  detailing  former 
Intimacy  between  Dr.  Wolff  and  Lieutenant  Conolly.  Embarks  on  the  Mission, 
October  14,  1843.  Arrival  at  Gibraltar.  Character  of  Bishop  Tomlinson.  Malta 
Athens.  Interview  with  the  King  and  Queen  of  Greece.  Dardanelles  .  59 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Constantinople.  Interview  with  Sir  Stratford  Canning.  Doubtful  reports  at  Con- 
stantinople about  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  Interview  with  the  Charge"  d' Affaires  of 
Naples  relative  to  Signer  Naselli,  who  had  visited  Bokhara.  Nature  of  Evidence 
as  to  the  Existence  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  procured  at  Constantinople.  Official 
Papers  from  the  Sultan,  the  Sheikh  Islam,  and  others.  Visits  to  Count  Sturmer. 
Attempts  made  by  certain  Parties  to  deter  Dr.  Wolff  from  proceeding  to  Bokhara. 
Kindness  of  Sir  Stratford  Canning  ;  His  Excellency  pays  all  Dr.  Wolff's  Expenses 
to  Trebizond.  High  Opinion  entertained  by  all  Parties  of  Captain  Grover. 
Embarkation  for  Trebizond 85 


CHAPTER  V. 

Arrival  at  Trebizond.  Singular  Report  of  Signor  Gherei.  Interview  with  Pasha  of 
Trebizond.  Subscription  to  Mission  at  Trebizond.  Departure  for  Erzroom  ;  ter- 
rific Route  ;  Gumush  Khane".  Conviction  of  the  Turks  that  their  Empire  is  sink- 
ing. Murad  Khan  Oglu  ;  Balahor ;  Bayboot.  Kob  ;  curious  Story  of  a  Derveesh 
at  this  Village.  Ashkaleh.  Elijehtebbe.  Warm  Springs.  Erzroom.  Dispute 
between  Turks  and  Persians  on  Frontier  Question.  Mr.  Brant,  the  Consul ;  his 
Kindness.  Interview  with  Pasha  of  Erzroom.  Etymon  of  Erzroom.  Pasha  of 
Erzroom  pays  Dr.  Wolff's  Expenses  to  Persian  Frontier.  Letter  from  Erzroom 
to  Captain  Grover.  Baptism  of  a  converted  Jew.  Proposed  Route.  Detention 
at  Erzroom  by  inclemency  of  Weather.  Kindness  of  Colonel  Williams  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Redhouse.  Letter  to  Captain  Grover.  Letter  from  Colonel  Williams. 
Public  Address  to  the  Muhammedans.  Letters  to  England.  Contribution  to 
Mission  from  a  Gentleman  at  Trebizond.  Address  to  the  Armenians  .  .  97 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Departure  from  Erzroom,  December  27.  Kerujak ;  Hassan  Kaleh ;  Komassor  ; 
Dehli  Baba ;  Armenian  Marriage  at  this  last  Village.  Taher,  a  Kurd  Village. 
Mullah  Soleiman,  an  Armenian  Village.  Kara  Klesea  ;  Kolaseur ;  Utah  Kelesea ; 
Diadeen  ;  Ghizl-Deesa.  Tremendous  Snow  Storm.  Awajick ;  Karaine  ;  Sehr 
Abad ;  Khoy  Tashwish ;  Tawsar ;  Tabreez.  Visit  to  an  old  Acquaintance  in 
Prison,  Muhammed  Khan  Kerahe.  Autograph  of  the  Khan,  giving  his  Descent. 
Birth  of  Ghengis  Khan.  Timur ;  the  Derivation  of  his  Name.  Falsity  of  the 
Statement  of  Saleh  Muhammed.  No  certain  Information  of  Stoddart  and  Con- 
oily.  Letters  of  Introduction  to  Bokhara.  Letter  to  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Com- 
mittee. Armenian  Festival  and  Khatshauran,  or  Washing  of  the  Cross.  St. 
Nierses  of  Lampron  ;  Life  and  Writings  of  this  learned  Armenian  Prelate.  Decay 
of  Muhammedanism.  Departure  from  Tabreez,  January  20th.  Seydabad.  Tek- 
metash.  Awful  Storm.  Kulagh.  Conversation  with  Derveesh.  Tata  Sultan, 
Kemaalee  Howdbeen.  Opinions  of  Mussulmans  changed  with  respect  to  the  Gia- 
ours. Turkman-Jaa ;  Miana ;  Sanjoon  ;  Khoramtarah  ;  Chaldreans  ;  Meeting 
with  their  Metropolitan  ;  their  Descent  from  Israel.  Ceremonies  and  Doctrine  of 
the  Chaldsean  Church.  St.  Thomas  the  Apostle.  Siyadehen ;  Kasween  ;  Sephir 
Khaja lia 


CHAPTER  YIL 


Arrival  at  Teheraun.  Interview  with  Colonel  Sheil.  Interview  with  Meshedee- 
Rajab.  Colonel  Stoddart's  Servant.  Bokhara  Eljee.  Account  of  Latif.  Ba- 
renstein.  Preaches  before  the  Embassy.  Audience  with  the  Shah.  Letter  of 
Shah  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara.  Interview  with  the  Vizier  of  the  Shah.  Am- 
bassador of  Bokhara  tells  Dr.  Wolff  that  Stoddart  and  Conolly  are  alive.  No  cer- 
tainty at  Teheraun  as  to  their  Death.  Ambassador  of  Khiva.  Dilatory  Conduct 
of  Colonel  Sheil.  Borowsky,  the  Jew.  Most  distinguished  Generals  in  the  East, 
Jews.  Sefaweya  Dynasty.  Departure  from  Teheraun.  Visits  Palasht ;  Darey 
Khur ;  Deh-Namak ;  Surkhak.  Enters  Khorassaun.  Interview  with  Prince 
Seif  Ullah  Mirza  at  Semnan.  Route  through  Aghwan  ;  Khosha  ;  Damghan  (re- 
ported to  be  the  oldest  City  in  the  World) ;  Deh-Mullah  Sharoot ;  Miyamey  ; 
Miyandasht ;  Meher  ;  Khosroejerd.  Sebzawar ;  Tower  of  Human  Skulls  built 
by  Tamerlane  at  this  place.  Route  continued — Safran ;  Germ-Ab.  Letter  re- 
ceived by  Dr.  Wolff  from  the  Persian  Viceroy  of  Khorassaun.  The  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla.  Route  continued — Nishapoor :  Report  here  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  be- 
ing alive.  Route  continued — Kadamgah  ;  Shereef-Abad ;  Askerea ;  meets  here 
with  Mullah  Mehdee  ;  Saleh  Muhammed  ;  the  Akhund-Zadeh.  Muhammed  Ali 
Serraf,  the  Agent  of  Colonel  Stoddart ;  suspicious  Conduct  of  this  Agent  .  131 

^^^ 


fumsasn 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

Arrival  at  Meshed.  Visited  on  arrival  by  the  Heads  of  the  Mosque.  Distance  trav- 
ersed by  Dr.  Wolff.  Dr.  Wolff  reported  to  be  a  Mullah  two  hundred  years  old. 
The  improbability  of  Saleh  Muhammed's  Statement  clearer  shown  by  further  ex- 
amination of  him.  Muhammed  AH  Serraf,  a  Villain.  Haje  Ibrahim,  brother  of 
Abdul  Samut  Khan.  Aga  Abool  Kasem.  Letters  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  for 
the  Jews  of  Bokhara  detained  by  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf,  and  not  forwarded  to 
Bokhara.  High  Priests  of  the  Mosque.  Arrival  of  the  Viceroy,  the  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla,  at  Meshed.  The  Viceroy  commends  Dr.  Wolff  to  the  care  of  the  Turko- 
mauns.  New  Rooz,  New  Year's  Day  of  the  Persians,  March  20th.  Advice 
given  by  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  to  Dr.  Wolff.  The  Viceroy  sends  Presents  by  Dil 
Assa  Khan  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara.  Turkomauns.  Delays  used  by  the  Turk- 
omaun  Chief,  Dil  Assa  Khan.  Letters  sent  to  the  King  of  Khiva.  Interrogation 
of  Saleh  Muhammed  by  Dr.  Wolff.  Dr.  Wolff  quits  Meshed.  Extortion  of  Dil 
Assa  Khan.  Arrival  at  Jehaar  Gunbaz.  Threat  of  Assaff-ood-Dowla  to  Dil 
Assa  Khan.  Route  through  Rabat,  Mahel,  Masteroon,  Karagosh,  Gonbazli. 
Arrival  at  Mowr.  Hospitably  received  by  Abd  Arrahman,  the  Khaleefa  of  the 
Turkomauns.  High  Character  of  the  English  in  Mowr.  Description  of  Abd- 
Arrahman.  Anecdote  of  the  Protection  of  the  Khivites  by  the  Khaleefa.  Danc- 
ing Derveeshes.  The  Khaleefa  offers  Dr.  Wolff  the  means  of  escape  and  dis- 
suades him  from  going  to  Bokhara.  Conversation  with  the  Derveesh  of  Kashgar. 
Letter  to  Captain  Grover.  Sensation  created  at  Bokhara  by  Lord  Ellenborough's 
Letter  to  the  Ameer.  Letter  to  Lady  Georgiana.  Schools  in  the  Desert.  Ghen- 
gis  Khan.  March  of  the  Russians  to  India 149 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Departure  from  Mowr.  Letter  to  Captain  Grover.  Ameer  Sarog.  Vile  Conduct 
of  Dil  Assa  Khan.  First  serious  Apprehensions  of  the  Death  of  Stoddart  and 
Conolly.  Mode  of  Capital  Punishment  altered  at  Bokhara  from  Strangling  to 
Beheading.  Dr.  Wolff  entertains  serious  Alarm  for  his  own  Safety;  adopts 
Measures  accordingly.  Letters  of  Sultan  and  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  never  for- 
warded to  Ameer  by  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  by  order  of  Colonel  Sheil.  Distant 
manner  of  Colonel  Sheil  disadvantageous  to  the  British  Interest  in  Persia. 
Khosrow  Khan.  Dr.  Wolff  makes  up  his  mind  to  die.  Letter  from  Kalja  in  the 
Desert  to  his  Friends.  Writes  from  this  place  to  the  "  Philanthropists  of  Europe." 
Fall  of  Snow.  Conversations  in  the  Desert  with  Turkomauns.  Their  account 
of  Timur  Kurican.  Timur's  Pyramid  of  Skulls  ;  Love  of  Truth  ;  Bodily  Strength ; 
Inflexible  Character ;  Death  ;  believed  by  the  Jews  of  his  time  from  his  Warlike 
Character  to  be  the  Messiah.  Nadir  Shah.  Route.  Rafitak.  Dr.  Wolff  escapes 
Death  from  an  incursion  of  the  Khivites ;  his  Death  reported.  Jehaar-Joo.  Silly 
Conduct  of  Ameer  Sarog ;  his  wish  to  add  a  fourth  Wife  to  his  Harem  resisted 
by  the  other  three.  Dr.  Wolff  robbed  by  Dil  Assa  Khan  and  his  Followers. 
Shah  Kamran.  Yar  Muhammed  Khan;  puts  to  Death  his  Sovereign  Shah 
Kamran;  his  treacherous  Conduct  to  Dr.  Wolff;  sends  three  Ambassadors  to 


CONTENTS.  XI 

the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  requesting  the  Ameer  to  put  Dr.  Wolff  to  Death,  hut  af- 
fects to  be  well  disposed  to  him.  Dil  Assa  Khan  the  Servant  of  this  Yar  Mu- 
hammed  Khan.  Dil  Assa  Khan  escapes  from  Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  and  be- 
comes the  Servant  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  Letter  from  Dr.  Wolff  sent  on  from 
Jehaar-Joo  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara.  Visit  from  Jews  of  Bokhara.  They  warn 
Dr.  Wolff  of  his  Danger;  recommend  Flight  to  Organtsh,  and  tell  him  of  the 
Death  of  Wyburt,  Stoddart  and  Conolly,  and  five  other  Englishmen.  Derveesh 
tells  him  to  proceed  .  .  .  . 173 


CHAPTER  X. 

Arrival  at  Karakol.  Dr.  Wolff  is  abandoned  by  his  Servants.  Motives  for  the  con- 
duct of  Dil  Assa  Khan.  Shahr  Islam.  Shouts  of  Populace  on  Route.  Descrip- 
tion of  Usbekistaun.  Kaffer  Seeah  Poosh.  Their  Language ;  Worship  ;  Dress. 
Reception  of  Dr.  Wolff  on  entering  into  Bokhara.  Roofs  of  Houses  thronged. 
Thousands  to  witness  the  entry  into  the  City.  Bible  held  open  in  his  hand; 
brought  up  to  the  'King.  Interview  with  the  Makhram.  Inquiry  whether  he 
would  comply  with  the  Ceremonies  used  in  Presentation  to  Ameer ;  assents  to 
them.  Ordered  to  send  up  Letters ;  sends  Letters  from  Sultan,  Shah,  Haje,  Count 
Medem,  Sheikh  Islam,  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  Dr.  Wolff  and  Dil  Assa  Khan  intro- 
duced to  the  King  of  Bokhara.  The  King  thinks  Dr.  Wolff  an  extraordinary  Per- 
sonage. Person  of  the  King.  History  of  Ameer ;  gains  the  Throne  by  Hakim 
Beyk  ;  murders  all  his  five  Brothers  except  Omar  Khan.  Dr.  Wolff  meets  Omar 
Khan  a  Fugitive  in  the  Desert  of  Mowr,  who  is  there  recognised  by  a  Derveesh. 
Omar  Khan  shares  the  fate  of  his  Brethren,  and  dies  in  battle  against  Behadur 
Khan.  Ameer  supposed  also  to  have  murdered  his  Father.  History  of  Hakim 
Beyk  ;  becomes  Goosh  Bekee  ;  raises  the  Character  of  the  Nation  ;  supplanted 
in  King's  favour  by  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  whom  he  had  raised  from  a  low  station. 
Imprisonment  of  Lieutenant  Wyburt  ;  the  Goosh  Bekee  intercedes  for  him ;  the 
King  promises  to  reform.  Doctrine  of  Passive  Obedience  and  Non-resistance  laid 
down  by  the  Reis ;  the  Ameer  acts  on  it.  People  believe  that  the  King  can  do 
no  Wrong ;  seizes  Wives  of  his  Subjects.  Goosh  Bekee  resists ;  is  exiled ;  recall- 
ed; and  executed  .  .,.,.,.  ...  «...  »  ,  ?-  ••;•*.:,.  .•  ,,-•>'.-;•  -  •  183 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Passive  Obedience  the  feeling  of  the  People  of  Bokhara.  Bad  Character  of  the 
Mervee.  King's  Touch  supposed  to  cure  Disease.  His  Wives  ;  his  mixed  De- 
scent from  a  Persian  Mother  and  an  Usbeck  Prince  ;  nursed  by  a  Cassack  Wo- 
man. Dr.  Wolff's  Interview  with  Shekawl.  Equivocation  of  Dil  Assa  Khan. 
Dr.  Wolff  explains  his  Mission.  The  Makhram  sent  in  the  Evening  with  Ques- 
tions for  Dr.  Wolff  to  answer.  Appearance  before  Ameer  on  the  following  day. 
Makhram  sent  to  Dr.  Wolff  with  another  Question.  Visit  to  Abdul  Samut  Khan  ; 
history  of  him.  Nayeb  receives  Dr.  Wolff  with  apparent  cordiality.  Long  Con- 
versation relative  to  the  Death  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  Private  Conversation 
with  Nayeb  afterwards  ;  he  affects  to  have  befriended  Stoddart  and  Conolly ; 
shows  Testimonials  from  them  and  Sir  Alexander  Burnes.  Dr.  Wolff  hears  "  God 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

save  the  Queen"  played  by  the  Ameer's  Band  ;  writes  to  Lord  Aberdeen  about 
the  Russian  Slaves  in  Bokhara.  Nayeb  gives  Dr.  Wolff  three  thousand  Tillahs : 
Dr.  Wolff  objects  to  receive  them.  Dr.  Wolff  explains  to  the  Nayeb  the  Object 
of  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Committee.  Nayeb  demands  how  much  Money  Dr. 
Wolff  would  pay  for  his  Ransom.  King  deeply  affected  at  Report  made  by  the 
Makhram  of  Dr.  Wolff's  Interview  with  Abdul  Samut  Khan.  Letter  to  Captain 
Grover  -  194 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Colleges  of  Bokhara.  Manner  of  Lecturing.  Derveeshes  fed  by  Ameer.  Jewish 
Synagouge  at  Bokhara.  The  King  of  Bokhara  attached  to  the  Jewish  Religion. 
Bokhara  and  Samarcand.  Singular  Report  of  Dr.  Wolff,  that  he  understood 
seventy -two  Languages,  knew  seventy-two  Religions,  and  had  conversed  with 
seventy-two  Nations,  and  that  he  had  come  from  Sulmistaun  to  convert  the  Bok- 
harese.  Makhram  sent  from  the  Ameer  with  a  Question,  How  the  Authenticity 
of  the  Christian  Religion  is  shown?  Answer.  Makhran^sent  again,  with  a  Re- 
quest that  the  History  of  Muhammed,  as  related  by  the  learned  Men  of  Europe, 
should  be  written  by  Dr.  Wolff,  and  transmitted  to  the  King.  Dr.  Wolff  consents, 
on  the  condition  that  he  should  not  be  forced  to  embrace  Muhammedanism.  Dr. 
Wolff  writes  the  Life  of  Muhammed.  Life  of  Muhammed  .  .  .208 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Sensation  produced  by  the  Life  of  Muhammed ;  Copies  of  it  circulated  through 
Balkh,  Khoollom,  Mazaur,  and  Cabul ;  Remarks  of  the  Sheikh  Islam  on  it.  Yar 
Muhammed  Khan  advises  the  King  to  behead  Dr.  Wolff.  Ak  Muhammed  Beyk 
appointed  Ambassador  from  Bokhara  to  England.  Mischief  occasioned  by  the  Ser- 
vants of  Colonel  Stoddart.  Colonel  Stoddart  ends  his  Diplomatic  Relations  with 
Yar  Muhammed  Khan  by  kicking  him  down  stairs.  Questions  by  the  Makhrams. 
King's  Remarks  on  Dr.  Wolff's  Personal  Appearance.  The  people  call  Dr.  Wolff 
Khoob  Ademee, "  The  Good  Man."  The  King  gives  him  three  Names.  High  rep- 
utation of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  among  the  Jews  of  Bokhara.  Further  Questions 
put  by  the  Makhrams  by  order  of  the  Ameer  to  Dr.  Wolff;  Dr.  Wolff's  Reply  to 
each.  The  Dastar  Khanjee  a  Disgrace  to  Manhood.  Dr.  Wolff  demands  the 
Bones  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  Peculiar  Character  of  the  Post  at  Bokhara.  The 
Ameer  reads  all  the  Letters  of  his  Subjects.  Interview  of  Dr.  Wolff  with  the 
Ameer.  The  King  threatens  to  send  Dr.  Wolff's  Bones  to  England.  Dr.  Wolff 
hears  of  the  Villany  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  from  various  Persons.  Refused  per- 
mission to  depart  by  reason  of  the  Detention  of  the  Bokhara  Ambassador  in  Per- 
sia. Writes  to  Colonel  Sheil.  Russian  Slaves  refused  Liberation.  Conversation 
with  the  Officers  of  the  Nayeb.  Hassan  Shirazi  ...  .  220 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

Disasters  of  the  Seikh  Army  in  Lassa.     Csoma  de  Koros ;  his  Researches  ;  publishes 
a  Dictionary  of  the  Thibet  Language.     The  Surveillance  over  Dr.  Wolff  grows 


CONTENTS.  Xlll 

more  rigid.  Barhurdar,  an  Armenian,  ordered  not  to  visit  Dr.  Wolff  by  the  Ameer. 
Nasir  Khayr  Ullah,  a  Kaffer  Seeah  Poosh,  mistaken  for  Colonel  Stoddart  from 
the  fairness  of  his  complexion.  Conversation  between  Dr.  Wolff  and  the  Nayeb. 
Letter  of  Sir  Richmond  Shakspeare.  The  Nayeb  detains  in  his  possession  the 
Letter  of  Lord  Ellenborough  to  the  Ameer.  Nayeb  alarmed  ;  advises  Dr.  Wolff 
to  communicate  to  the  Ameer  the  fact  of  the  Letter  having  arrived ;  Dr.  Wolff 
does  so.  Hassan  Caboolee  dispatched.  Dr.  Wolff  discovers  that,  though  appa- 
rently sent,  he  did  not  really  go.  Affghaun  Bear  Leader  imprisoned  as  a  Spy ; 
he  tells  Dr.  Wolff  that  the  Ameer  sent  a  Lion  to  Russia  as  a  Present  to  the  Czar, 
for  which  his  Ambassador  was  munificently  rewarded ;  but  that  the  Czar  refused 
after  the  Execution  of  the  British  Officers  to  hold  any  further  Intercourse  with 
the  Ameer.  The  Ameer  goes  to  war  with  Khokand  and  Oratepa ;  orders  in  his 
absence  the  Guards  over  Dr.  Wolff  to  be  doubled,  and  tells  him  that  his  Departure 
will  depend  on  the  success  of  his  Expedition.  Dr.  Wolff  writes  to  Lady  Geor- 
giana  and  his  Son.  Conversations  with  Dil  Assa  Khan,  Abdullah,  and  others. 
Dr.  Wolff  bribes  the  Guards.  Previous  War  with  Khokand ;  King  made  Prisoner 
and  put  to  death  by  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara ;  his  Wife  and  Child  barbarously 
murdered.  Abdul  Samut  Khan  the  chief  Agent  in  the  Slaughter.  At  the  news 
of  the  Death  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  the  Inhabitants  of  Khokand  renew  the 
War.  The  Ameer  retreats  before  them  and  the  Khivites.  Dr.  Wolff  contrives 
to  acquaint  the  British  Envoy  at  Teheraun  of  the  movements  of  the  Ameer,  and 
warns  the  Town  of  Shahr  Sabz  of  the  King's  intention  to  attack  them.  Ameer 
says  that  nothing  prospers  with  him  since  the  Death  of  the  English  Officers.  The 
King  of  Khokand  offers  Dr.  Wolff  an  Asylum  in  his  Dominions  .  .  239 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Mervee  wish  to  know  the  Story  of  Napoleon ;  Dr.  Wolff  Recounts  it  in  an 
Oriental  fashion.  He  amuses  the  tedious  hours  of  Captivity  by  telling  various 
Anecdotes.  His  Anecdote  of  the  Arabian  Derveesh  reaches  the  ears  of  the  Daster 
Khanjee,  who  reports  it  to  the  Ameer.  The  Kasi  Kelaun  assures  Dr.  Wolff  that 
the  British  Officers  were  put  to  death,  and  that  the  King  deeply  repented  of  the 
act.  The  Kasi  Kelaun  warned  the  Ameer  of  the  Consequences.  All  the  Jews 
knew  of  the  Execution  the  same  day,  and  the  Inhabitants  of  Bokhara,  in  town 
and  country,  speak  of  it  as  a  matter  well  known.  Dr.  Wolff  tells  an  Anecdote  of 
Frederick  the  Great  of  Russia.  Dr.  Wolff  laughs  at  Ameer  Sarog's  Vanity,  and 
tells  him  the  Tale  of  the  Derveesh  with  the  White  Beard  .  .  243 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Abdul  Samut  Khan  told  Dr.  Wolff  that  he  was  the  chief  Instigator  of  the  Slaughter 
at  Khokand  in  the  first  War ;  his  Motives  were  to  create  a  Feud  between  the 
States,  which  he  trusted  would  end  in  the  Death  of  the  Ameer.  Abdul  Samut 
Khan  said  that  the  first  Expedition  against  Khokand  was  by  the  advice  of  Rus- 
sia. People  of  Khokand  have  since  made  an  Alliance  with  Russia.  Policy  of 
Russia  was  to  bring  this  about  by  urging  the  Ameer  to  war  on  them  when  they 
would  require  Aid.  Russians  intend  to  erect  a  Fortress  at  Hasrat  Sultan.  People 
from  Cabul,  Kashmeer,  and  Scinde  call  on  Dr.  Wolff;  they  praise  highly  Sir 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

Charles  Napier.  Affghauns  from  Cabul  ascribe  the  Disasters  of  the  British  Army 
to  the  Immoral  Conduct  of  the  Officers.  Determined  Conduct  of  Major  Raw- 
linson ;  he  puts  to  Death  an  Affghaun  for  Murder.  Manners  and  Customs  of  the 
Muhammedan  Mullahs.  Diligence  of  Muhammedans  in  copying  the  Koran; 
Propaganda  and  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  discharge  the  same  Office  by 
the  Christians.  The  Bible  would  be  nearly  extinct  in  the  East  but  for  these 
Societies.  Arrival  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  the  Persian  Ambassador  ;  he  tells  Dr. 
Wolff  that  the  Shah,  Haje,  and  Assaff<ood-Dowla  had  strongly  recommended 
him  to  bring  Dr.  Wolff  with  him,  or  to  send  him  on  before  him.  Nayeb  sends 
for  Dr.  Wolff;  informs  him  that  Yar  Muhammed  Khan  had  sent  three  Ambassa- 
dors to  Bokhara,  stating  that  Colonel  Sheil  had  called  the  Ameer  a  Robber  in  the 
presence  of  the  Russian  and  Yar  Muhammed  Khan's  Ambassadors,  of  Dr.  Wolff, 
and  the  Bokhara  Ambassador;  therefore  Yar  Muhammed  Khan  advised  the 
Ameer  to  strike  off  Dr.  Wolff's  Head.  Nayeb  offers  Dr.  Wolff  his  Protection. 
Turkish  Officer  dies  suddenly  in  the  Nayeb's  Garden.  Another  Conversation 
with  the  Nayeb.  The  Nayeb  reports  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's  Mission  untruly.  Dr. 
Wolff  tries  to  escape.  The  Nayeb  violates  his  promise  to  protect  Dr.  Wolff.  The 
King  sends  for  him.  Dr.  Wolff  charges  the  Nayeb  with  the  Murder  of  Stoddart 
and  Conolly ;  the  Nayeb  owns  it.  Dr.  Wolff  again  tries  to  escape  through  a 
Water  Hole  from  the  Garden  of  the  Nayeb  to  the  House  of  the  Yawer.  While 
there  a  Woman  is  introduced  to  him  ;  he  is  aware  of  the  Stratagem  to  compel 
him  by  her  means  to  embrace-  Muhammedanism,  and  drives  her  from  him. 
Ordered  by  the  King  to  appear  before  him  ;  leaves  the  Garden  of  Abdul  Samut 
Khan ;  presents  himself  before  the  Ameer,  who  receives  him  sternly.  Ordered 
to  the  Toora  Khane  and  close  Confinement ;  calls  on  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  who 
vows  to  save  him.  The  King  sends  word  to  him  that  he  may  quit  Bokhara  in 
two  ways ;  leaves  to  His  Majesty  the  choice  of  either.  King  sets  out  for  Sa- 
marcand 243 

CHAPTER  XYH. 

Jews  obtain  leave  from  the  Ameer  to  visit  Dr.  Wolff;  they  sing  with  him,  and  ask 
for  the  Names  of  illustrious  Jews  who  had  embraced  Christianity ;  he  tells  them 
of  several,  viz.,  Emanuel  Veith,  M.D.,  Dr.  Mayers,  Dr.  August  Neander,  Dr.  Rat- 
isbon,  Isaac  da  Costa,  Dr.  Kabbadose,  Madame  Dorothea  Schlegel.  Muhammed 
Bakher  Nakash,  the  Servant  of  Conolly,  abjures  Islam,  and  says  the  Christians  are 
better  Men  than  the  Muhammedans ;  he  is  brought  before  the  Sheikh  Islam ;  per- 
sists in  his  Avowal ;  is  sent  to  Prison,  and  flogged.  Ameer  returns ;  sends  to  Dr. 
Wolff  a  Mullah,  to  know  whether  he  will  embrace  the  Muhammedan  Religion ; 
Dr.  Wolff  replies,  Never.  Executioner  sent  also.  Letter  from  the  Shah ;  Haje 
Ibrahim,  the  Brother  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  informs  the  Nayeb  of  the  Letter, 
and  urges  him  to  prevent  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  from  receiving  it.  Muhammed  Bak- 
her saved  by  Dr.  Wolff.  Atrocities  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  ;  gets  a  Turkomaun 
beheaded,  who  came  to  save  Stoddart;  also  Ephraim,  a  Jew,  from  Meshed. 
Prisoners  in  his  Garden ;  their  Meanings  and  Wailings.  Impression  throughout 
the  Muhammedan  Countries  that  England  and  Russia  will  seize  all  those  Regions. 
Remark  to  Dr.  Wolff.  Affghauns  praise  the  English.  Habeeb,  weeping,  tells 
Dr.  Wolff  that  he  is  to  die.  Servants  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  announce  his  Death, 
and  show  a  Letter  from  Abdul  Samut  Khan  to  that  effect.  Dr.  Wolff  makes  up 
his  mind  to  die,  and  writes  in  his  Bible  a  Farewell  to  his  Family  250 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Colonel  Shell.  Bad  Conduct  of  Dr.  Wolff's  Servants.  Remark  of  Usbecks  on  the 
Treatment  of  Dr.  Wolff.  Questions  put  by  the  Makhrams  by  order  of  the  King 
to  Dr.  Wolff  Kindness  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  to  Dr.  Wolif ;  the  noblest-minded 
Persian  Dr.  Wolff  has  seen  ;  sends  Dr.  Wolff  Food  from  his  own  Table  ;  places 
a  Servant  with  Dr.  Wolff  for  his  personal  Safety ;  sends  his  Physician  to  Dr. 
Wolff  to  treat  him  for  the  Rishta.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  Dr.  Wolff  read 
together.  Various  Reports  of  the  Ameer's  Proceedings.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's 
Religious  Opinions.  Conversation  with  People  of  Samarcand  ;  they  tell  Dr. 
Wolff  of  Gold  Mines  and  Turquoises  near  Samarcand ;  of  Ghengis  Khan  and 
Tamerlane.  Letter  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  to  Lady  Georgiana.  Nayeb  sends  two 
thousand  tillahs  to  Dr.  Wolff  The  Letter  of  Lord  Ellenborough  reported  to  be 
at  Balkh ;  arrives  in  forty  days ;  Seal  broken.  Abdul  Samut  Khan  leaijes 
Bokhara  for  Samarcand ;  his  Message  to  Dr.  Wolff.  Vile  Conduct  of  Abdullah  ; 
tries  to  rob  Dr.  Wolff.  Dr.  Wolff  wishes  the  Jews  to  take  charge  of  Abdul 
Samut  Khan's  Money  ;  they  decline  it,  on  the  ground  that  Abdul  Samut  Khan 
would  take  it  from  them,  and  make  them  pay  for  it.  Letters  arrive  at  Bokhara 
from  the  Brother  of  Conolly  ;  Dr.  Wolff  opens  them.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's  con- 
tinued Kindness  to  Dr.  Wolff.  The  Jews  visit  Dr.  Wolff;  their  curious  method 
of  Conversation.  Dr.  Wolff  writes  to  the  "  Sovereigns  of  Europe."  A  second 
Letter,  with  strict  Instructions  about  Dr.  Wolff's  Safety,  arrives  from  the  Shah. 
Letter  to  Captain  Grover.  Return  of  the  Ameer  and  Abdul  Samut  Khan  to 
Bokhara.  King  reads  Lord  Ellenborough's  Letter ;  determines  in  his  own  mind, 
Abdul  Samut  Khan  says,  to  kill  Dr.  Wolff.  Others  say  that  Abdul  Samut  Khan 
advised  him  to  do  so.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  and  Dr.  Wolff,  visit 
the  Ameer ;  he  does  not  look  on  Dr.  Wolff.  Letter  to  Lady  Georgiana  and  his 
Son.  All  Letters  sent  open  by  Dr.  Wolff.  Mullah  sent  to  Dr.  Wolff  to  know  if 
he  would  embrace  Muhammedanism ;  he  replies,  Never.  Executioner  visits  him. 
Dr.  Wolff  prepares  for  Death.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  intimates  to  the  Ameer  that 
he  has  a  Letter  to  deliver  from  the  Shah.  The  Ameer  receives  it,  and  gives  Dr. 
Wolff  up  to  him  .  \  V  .,  ...  .  .  .  .256 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Ameer  sends  for  the  Servants  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  Dil  Assa  Khan,  but  omits 
Dr.  Wolff's  by  mistake,  to  give  them  Robes  of  Honour.  Interview  with  the 
Nayeb.  Presents  from  the  King.  The  Ameer  tells  Dr.  Wolff  to  ask  a  Favour  of 
him  ;  Dr.  Wolff  declines  doing  so.  Ameer  determines  to  send  an  Ambassador  to 
England.  Vile  Conduct  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan.  Audience  of  leave  to  depart. 
Ameer  commends  the  Conduct  of  Dr.  Wolff;  censures  that  of  Stoddart  and 
Conolly.  Reception  in  Bokhara  by  the  People.  Murders  committed  by  Abdul 
Samut  Khan.  First  Plan  by  which  the  Ameer  might  be  effectually  checked  in 
his  Atrocities.  Second  Plan  for  same.  English  Honour  requires  some  Notice  to 
be  taken  of  the  Ameer's  Conduct.  Character  of  the  Ameer;  brutal,  lustful, 
tyrannical,  but  not  so  to  the  Poor ;  fond  of  Information ;  deeply  affected  at  having 
put  to  Death  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  Dr.  Wolff  prefers  Ameer  to  Abdul  Samut 


XVI  CONTENTS. 


Khan.  Description  of  Bokhara  by  Mr.  Macgregor.  Population  of  Khiva. 
Trade  of  those  Countries.  Russian  Trade.  Dignitaries  of  the  State.  Ecclesias- 
tical Dignitaries 264 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Departure  from  Bokhara.  Dr.  Wolff  discovers  a  Plot  to  kill  and  rob  him,  en  route. 
Thousands  attend  to  witness  their  Departure.  Dr.  Wolff  refuses  to  separate  from 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  Arrival  at  Jesman-Doo.  Vile  Conduct  of  Muhammed 
Taki.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  expresses  his  Displeasure.  Derveesh  of  Yarkand; 
Conversation  with  him.  Affghaun  Seyd ;  Conversation  with  him.  The  Calmucks ; 
their  singular  Conduct.  Remarkable  fine  sense  of  Smelling  and  Hearing  in 
Turkomauns.  Appearance  of  Usbecks.  Conversation  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  ; 
Jie  thinks  Abdul  Samut  Khan  was  the  Murderer  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain 
Conolly.  Visit  from  a  Mullah ;  his  Account  of  Timur.  Shahr  Sabz.  Route — 
Jesman-Doo ;  Shahr  Islam.  History  of  Afrasiab.  Reports  of  Guzl-Bash  about 
the  English.  Mortesa  and  Abdullah  advise  Dr.  Wolff  to  leave  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan  ;  he  refuses.  Peikand.  Karakol.  The  Governor  of  Karakol  warns  Dr. 
Wolff  that  a  Plot  is  laid  to  take  away  his  life.  Hussein.  Route— Allot.  The 
Caravan  lose  their  way.  An  attempt  made  by  Ismael  and  Mortesa  to  seize  Dr. 
Wolff;  he  calls  on  the  Merchants  of  the  Caravan  to  protect  him.  Sayen.  Dr. 
Wolff  wishes  to  throw  away  the  Money  in  the  Desert ;  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  takes 
it  in  his  keeping 274 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Arrival  at  Jehaar-Joo.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  calls  on  the  Caravan  to  protect  Dr. 
Wolff.  Bokhara  Ambassador  demands  Money  from  Dr.  Wolff.  Rafitak.  Bok- 
harese  Horsemen  from  the  Ameer  demand  Tribute.  Dr.  Wolff  disconsolate. 
Arrival  at  Ujaaje.  Mowr.  Caravan  declared  Prisoners.  Ameer  of  Bokhara 
orders  the  Turkomauns  to  release  the  Caravan  ;  they  refuse  to  obey ;  their 
Khaleefa  threatens  to  leave  them  if  they  injure  the  Caravan  ;  they  obey  him. 
Conversation  of  Derveesh.  Turkomaun.  A  Derveesh  tells  the  Story  of  Scan- 
derbeg.  Fakeers.  Sultan  Sanjaar.  The  Khaleefa  speaks  of  Ghengis  Khan. 
Khaleefa's  Son  speaks  ill  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  Tribe  of  Salor  best  of  the 
Turkomauns.  Ameer  Sarog  and  Kaher  Kouli  lay  a  Plot  to  murder  Dr.  Wolff; 
the  Khaleefa  frustrates  it.  Jews  aid  the  Khivites  against  Bokhara.  Joseph  of 
Talkhtoon.  Turkomaun  Tales  of  Sultan  Sanjaar.  Turkomauns,  in  despite  of 
Treaty,  kill  the  Messenger  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  The  Khaleefa's  Conversa- 
tion the  night  of  his  departure  with  Dr.  Wolff 282 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Tribe  of  Tekka.    Route— Olugh  Baba ;  Sarakhs.    Abbas  Kouli  Khan  ill-treated 
by  the  Turkomauns.    The  Turkomauns  demand  Robes  of  Honour.     Dr.  Wolff 


CONTENTS. 

a  obliged  to  assume  Madness  to  preserve  himself  and  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  Turko- 
m an  us  demand  Tribute  again.  Taking  of  Sarakhs  by  Abbas  Mirza  in  1832.  Kho- 
jam  Shokoor  threatens  to  put  the  Caravan  to  Death.  Arrival  at  Mostroon.  Nasa- 
rieh.  Dil  Assa  Khan  disgraced  by  the  Assaff-ood-Dowl  a.  Gaskoon.  Meshed.  Dr. 
Wolff  seized  with  Illness.  Account  of  Meshed  ;  its  Rulers.  Letter  from  Colonel 
Sheil,  announcing  a  Subscription  to  the  Mission  of  three  thousand  Rupees  from 
Captain  Eyre.  Second  Letter  from  same,  announcing  a  Subscription  for  the 
same  Object  from  Cabul  Relief  Committee  of  ten  thousand  Rupees.  Dr.  Wolff 
never  received  these  Amounts.  Letter  from  Agra  Bank,  announcing  further 
Subscription  from  the  North-west  Provinces  of  India.  Third  Letter  from  Colonel 
Sheil.  Assaff-ood-Dowla  takes  Birjand.  Earthquake  at  Kayen.  Persian  Agents 
not  trustworthy.  Kind  Reception  at  Meshed  of  Dr.  Wolff  by  Hussein  Khan, 
Son  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  Hussein  Khan  wishes  to  punish  Dil  Assa  Khan. 
Dr.  Wolff  intercedes  for  him  on  account  of  his  Family.  Dr.  Wolff  gets  Abdullah 
bastinadoed  and  imprisoned.  Kindness  of  Mullah  Mehdee  to  the  English.  Vil- 
lany  of  a  German  named  Dieskau.  Mirza  Askeree,  the  Imaam  Jumaa,  calls  at 
Night  on  Dr.  Wolff.  Massacre  of  Allah-Daad.  The  Jew  Rahmeem.  Dr. 
Wolff 's  Letter  to  the  Jews  of  Meshed  .  .  .  "•*.  :  •  '.  .  289 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Dissent  among  the  Mussulmans.  Saye'd  asserts  Pilgrimages  to  be  unnecessary. 
Imaum  Resa  killed  by  Haroun  Rashid.  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  calls  on  Dr. 
Wolff;  Dr.  Wolff  charges  him  with  Neglect  in  not  delivering  the  Letters  of  Sir 
Moses  Montefiore  and  the  Sultan ;  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  shows  a  Letter  from 
Colonel  Sheil  to  justify  his  Conduct.  Date  of  the  Execution  of  Colonel  Stoddart 
and  Captain  Conolly.  Argument  for  1258  Hejirah ;  1259  the  right  Date.  Dr. 
Wolff  regrets  that  the  Sufferings  of  the  Officers  should  have  been  so  protracted, 
but  cannot  come,  on  reflection,  to  any  other  Conclusion  than  1259  Hejirah,  1843 
A.D.  Character  of  Colonel  Sheil.  Evil  of  appointing  Envoys  that  are  not  of  the 
Established  Church.  Singular  Conduct  of  Colonel  Sheil.  Letter  from  the  Assaff- 
ood-Dowla.  Christian  Missions.  Stations  for  them  recommended  at  Semnaan, 
Damghan,  Nishapoor,  Meshed,  Hasr at- Sultan,  Tashkand,  Shainay,  Yarkand, 
Cashgar,  Eele,  Thibet,  and  Cashmeer ;  not  at  present  at  Bokhara.  Khokand, 
Cashmeer,  Ladack,  and  Lassa.  Languages  requisite :  Arabic,  Persian,  Turkish, 
Chinese,  Hindustanee,  Hebrew,  and  Kalmuck.  Sciences  and  Arts.  Conduct 
required  in  a  Missionary.  The  Character  of  a  Missionary.  Dialogue  between 
Dr.  Wolff  and  a  Sooffee.  Ameer  Beyk,  the  Daoodee.  Route — Askerea ;  Shereef 
Abad ;  Kadam-Gah ;  Nishapore  ;  Sabz-Awar.  Curious  Report  circulated  there, 
at  the  first  Visit  of  Dr.  Wolff,  that  he  was  two  hundred  years  old,  and  acquainted 
with  all  the  Sciences  of  the  Earth.  Visited  the  second  time  by  Crowds  who  con- 
ceived he  had  predicted  the  recent  Earthquake.  Route — Massanan;  Abbas 
Abad ;  Miyandasht ;  Miyamey.  Dr.  Cormick  died  at  Miyamey.  Death  of  Abbas 
Mirza.  Illness  of  Dr.  Wolff.  Conversation  between  Sabhan  Ullah  Khan  and  Dr. 
Wolff.  Route — Shah  Rood ;  Deh-Mullah ;  Damghan ;  Dowlat  Abad ;  Aghwan ; 
Semnan ;  Lasgird ;  Deh  Namak ;  Pah-Deh ;  Kish-Lagh.  Arrival  at  Teheraun. 
Hospitable  Reception  by  Colonel  Sheil.  Monsieur  Le  Comte  Sartiges  .  300 

2 


xviii  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Dr.  Wolff  preaches  at  the  Embassy.  Noble  Conduct  of  Count  Medem.  Colonel 
Shell  refuses  to  return  the  Letter  of  Lord  Ellenborough.  Kindness  of  the  Russian 
Embassy.  Khosrow  Khan.  Dr.  Wolff  writes  to  the  Ameer.  Reception  by  the 
Shah.  Dr.  Wolff  thanks  His  Majesty  for  his  Life.  His  Life  twice  preserved  by 
the  Court  of  Persia.  Autograph  of  the  Shah.  Mullah  Bahram,  the  Gueber. 
Colonel  Sheil  demands  the  Date  of  the  Execution  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain 
Conolly ;  Dr.  Wolff  gives  1258  Hejirah.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  thinks  it  was  1259. 
Dr.  Wolff,  on  further  reflection,  coincides  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  Persia  could 
not  under  existing  circumstances  take  Bokhara.  Mirza  Abdul  Wahab.  Letter 
of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  to  Lady  Georgiana  Wolff.  Kindness  of  the  Embassy  to 
Dr.  Wolff.  Armenian  Church.  Recourse  had  to  the  Russian  Embassy,  and  not 
to  the  British,  by  the  Protestant  Missionaries.  Count  Medem  visits  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan,  and  thanks  him  for  his  Kindness  to  Dr.  Wolff.  Visit  of  Dr.  Wolff  to  the 
Haje,  the  Prime  Minister  of  the  Shah;  their  Conversation.  Haje  Ibrahim 
demands  six  thousand  Tillahs ;  Dr.  Wolff  takes  an  Oath  that  he  never  received 
this  Sum ;  Dr.  Wolff  pays  him  three  thousand  Tillahs,  and  draws  on  Captain 
Grover  for  four  hundred  Pounds.  Haje  Ibrahim  claims  three  thousand  Tillahs  as 
due  from  Conolly  ;  Dr.  Wolff  protests  against  this  Payment,  and  thinks  Colonel 
Sheil  ought  to  have  refused  to  pay  Haje  Ibrahim  anything  for  either  Dr.  Wolff 
or  Captain  Conolly.  Inexplicable  Conduct  of  Colonel  Sheil.  Letter  from  the 
Queen  to  the  King  of  Bokhara.  Visit  to  Haje  Baba  .  .  .  .310 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


Departure  from  Teheraun.  Route — Kand;  Sunghur-Abad ;  Sepher-Khoja.  Meet- 
ing here  with  Assaad  Ullah  Beyk.  Route — Casween ;  Sultanieh ;  Sanjoon ;  Gul 
Teppa.  Illness  of  Dr.  Wolff.  Kind  Reception  of  Dr.  Wolff  at  Tabreez  by  Mr. 
Bonham ;  his  Treatment  by  Dr.  Casolani.  Mr.  Osroff  and  the  Russian  Legation. 
Introduction  of  Dr.  Wolff  by  Mr.  Bonham  to  Prince  Bahman  Mirza.  The  Princo 
presents  Dr.  Wolff  with  a  valuable  Emerald  Ring.  Letter  of  Prince  Bahman 
Mirza.  Russian  Inhabitants  of  Tabreez  consider  it  disgraceful  to  the  British  Gov- 
ernment to  permit  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Affair  to  rest  in  its  present  position. 
Extracts  showing  the  exact  Position  of  these  Diplomatic  Agents.  First,  from 
Captain  I.  Conolly,  Brother  to  the  murdered  Captain  Conolly ;  Second,  Extracts 
from  the  Correspondence  of  Colonel  Stoddart.  Impolicy  of  Non-Interference. 
Holy  Places  visited  by  Persians.  Dispute  between  Turks  and  Persians  on  Frontier 
Question.  Colonel  Taylor  and  Major  Rawlinson.  Disciples  of  John  the  Baptist ; 
their  singular  History  ;  their  Report  of  themselves  that  they  are  Descendants  of 
the  Chaldeans  and  of  the  Brothers  of  Abraham.  Triple  Name  of  God.  Baptism 
of  John  in  the  Wilderness.  Two  kinds  of  Priests ;  one  the  Representative  of  the 
Baptist,  the  other  of  the  Christ.  Their  Book,  the  Sadra  Raba ;  reported  Authors 
of  it,  Seth  and  John  the  Baptist ;  their  Residences.  Fruitless  Attempts  of  Father 


CONTENTS.  Xix 

Agatangelos  to  convert  the  Mandaye  or  Disciples  of  John  the  Baptist.  Dr.  Wolff, 
however,  establishes  a  School  which  the  Son  of  even  the  Ganz  Awra,  or  Repre- 
sentative of  Jesus  Christ,  attends ;  they  affirm  Boohyra  to  have  been  a  Nestorian 
Monk ;  also  that  they  emigrated  from  Egypt  with  the  Jews,  and  separated  from 
them  on  the  Institution  of  the  Rite  of  Circumcision  by  Joshua ;  their  Language 
Chaldean.  The  Ganz  Awra  has  his  Right  Hand  cut  off  by  order  of  the  Governor 
of  Bosra ;  he  maintained  that  numbers  of  their  Sect  were  resident  in  Morocco. 
Catholicity  shown  to  be  a  natural  Principle  from  the  Conduct  of  Sectarians  318 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


Two  leading  Sects  amid  Muhammedans,  Sheeahs,  and  Sunnees.  Ball  by  Mr. 
Bonham ;  Dancers  all  Gentlemen.  Death  of  Mrs.  Bonham.  Shamar  Beyk ; 
Anecdote  of  him  and  General  Neidhart.  Chaldeans  in  the  Mountains  of  Kur- 
distaun,  not  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  Dr.  Wolff  thinks,  as  commonly  asserted.  Nesto- 
rians  or  Chaldeans  ;  their  Assertion  that  they  did  not  become  Followers  of  Nesto- 
rius,  but  simply  received  him  kindly  among  them  ;  Episcopacy  hereditary  among 
them  ;  oppressed  by  the  Kurds ;  Sir  Stratford  Canning  interferes  in  their  behalf. 
Mar  Yohannan,  Bishop  of  Oroomiah  ;  his  Letter,  written  in  English.  Accurate 
character  of  Mr.  Ainsworth's  Work  on  Asia  Minor,  &c.  Armenians  of  Tabreez 
give  Dr.  Wolff  a  Public  Dinner.  Diploma  from  Bahman  Mirza  to  Dr.  Casolani. 
Daoud  Khan.  Attempt  to  abolish  Ancient  Forms  by  the  Protestant  Missionaries 
injudicious.  Edward  Burgess ;  his  unfortunate  Position ;  Letter  addressed  by  him 
to  Dr.  Wolff.  Departure  of  Dr.  Wolff  from  Tabreez.  Route— Mayoon ;  Deesa 
Khaleel ;  Tasuj ;  Sayd  Hajee ;  Khoy.  Dangerous  travelling  from  this  point. 
Robbery  of  Messrs.  Todd  and  Abbott ;  the  Kurds  compel  Mr.  Todd  to  swallow 
his  Pomatum.  Route — Soraba  ;  Karaine ;  Leyba ;  Awajick.  Snow  compels 
Dr.  Wolff  to  go  on  Horseback.  The  Pasha  of  Erzroom  sends  a  Guard  of  Honour 
for  Dr.  Wolff.  Letters  from  Colonel  Williams 325 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


Route — Ghizl-Deesa;  Utsh  Kelesea.  Nierses,  the  Katokhikos  of  the  Armenian 
Church.  Efforts  of  Czar  to  unite  Armenian  and  Russian  Churches.  Route — 
Yuntsh  Aloo ;  Kara  Klesea ;  Mullah  Suleiman  ;  Scydekan.  Dr.  Wolff  injured 
by  a  Fall  from  his  Horse.  Route — Dehli  Baba ;  Komassur ;  Kopre  Koy ;  Hassan 
Kaleh.  Letters  from  Colonel  Williams  and  Mr.  Brant.  Letter  of  Colonel  Wil- 
liams to  Captain  Grover.  Arrival  at  Erzroom.  Dreadful  Sufferings  of  Dr.  WolfE 
Kindness  of  Colonel  Williams,  Mr.  Brant,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Redhouse  to  Dr. 
Wolff.  Letter  of  Dr.  Casolani.  Ambassador  from  Bokhara  to  England  arrives 
at  Erzroom.  Letter  from  Sir  Stratford  Canning.  Interview  of  Dr.  Wolff,  Mr. 
Brant,  Colonel  Williams,  and  Colonel  Farrant,  with  Kamil  Pasha ;  Kamil  Pasha's 
Statement  to  them  of  his  Interview  with  the  Ambassador  from  Bokhara  to 


XX  CONTENTS. 

England.  Departure  from  Erzroom.  Route — Mey  Mansoor  ;  Saaza  ;  Massad  ; 
Beyboot ;  Jaajee  Koy ;  Gumush  Khane" ;  Artasa ;  Yerkopri ;  Yeseer  Oglu. 
Letter  from  Mr.  Stevens 333 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


Arrival  at  Trebizond.  Folly  of  Land  Quarantine  there.  Ambassador  from  Bokhara 
arrives.  One  of  his  old  Friends  the  Makhrams  calls  on  Dr.  Wolff ;  Dr.  Wolff 
feels  reluctant  to  renew  the  Intimacy.  Visits  received  by  Dr.  Wolff  when  in 
Quarantine.  Letter  from  Colonel  Farrant.  Letter  from  Sir  Stratford  Canning. 
Bokhara  Ambassador  gets  Pratique  one  day  before  Dr.  Wolff.  Singular  Conduct 
of  the  Pasha  of  Trebizond.  Letter  from  Mr.  Brant.  Departure  for  Constantinople. 
Sinope  and  Samsoon.  Arrival  at  Constantinople.  Dr.  Wolff  preaches  on  board 
the  Virago.  Letter  from  Sir  Stratford  Canning.  Dr.  Wolff  waits  upon  Their 
Excellencies  Sir  Stratford  and  Lady  Canning.  Letter  from  the  Honourable  Mr. 
Wellesley.  Kindness  of  the  Legation.  Letter  from  the  Reverend  H.  D.  Leeves. 
Arrival  of  seven  Franciscan  Friars  at  Constantinople,  expelled  from  Russia  for 
their  refusal  to  take  the  Oath  of  Allegiance  to  the  Czar.  Sympathy  excited  for 
them.  Power  of  the  Romish  Church  greatly  curtailed  by  the  Czar.  Letter  from 
Sir  Stratford  Canning.  Visit  to  Saint  Sophia.  The  Missionaries  call  on  Dr. 
Wolff.  Schauffler ;  his  extraordinary  Acquirements  in  Language.  Kindness  of 
Count  Sturmer.  Sir  Stratford  Canning  induces  Sultan  to  abolish  Punishment  of 
Death  for  Apostacy ;  the  Declaration  of  the  Porte.  Introduction  of  Dr.  Wolff  to 
the  Grand  Vizier,  the  Reis  Effendi,  the  Shekeeb  Effendi,  and  the  Sheikh  Islam. 
Introduction  to  Greek  Patriarchs.  Liturgies  of  St.  Chrysostom,  St.  Basil,  and  St. 
Gregory.  The  Patriarch  visits  Dr.  Wolff.  Dr.  Wolff  preaches  at  the  Legation,  and 
in  other  Places.  Kindness  of  Lady  Canning.  Letter  from  the  Honourable  Mr. 
Wellesley.  Dr.  Wolff  embarks  for  England.  Arrives  at  Smyrna.  Meets  there 
Lord  Clarence  Paget  and  the  Reverend  H.  D.  Leeves.  Quarantine  at  Malta.  Lord 
Lorton  visits  Dr.  Wolff  in  Quarantine.  The  Bishop  of  Gibraltar  also  sees  him  in 
Quarantine.  Then  sails  for  Gibraltar  ;  on  his  arrival  there  receives  Letters  from 
the  Governor,  Sir  Robert  Wilson,  and  the  Reverend  Dr.  Burrow.  Reaches  South- 
ampton on  April  9th ;  meets  there  Captain  Grover,  Lady  Georgiana,  and  his 
Son.  Starts  for  London.  Returns  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  his  Preservation 
in  Trinity  Church,  Gray's  Inn  Road.  Public  Meeting  at  Exeter  Hall.  Noble 
Character  of  Captain  Grover.  Letter  from  the  Reverend  R.  W.  Stoddart,  Vicar 
of  Hundon.  Conclusion  ...  .  .  .  .  .  342 


CONTENTS.  XXi 


APPENDIX. 

I.  The  three  Liturgies  of  St  Chrysostom,  St.  Basil,  and  St.  Gregory,  with  vari- 
ous Rites  and  Ceremonies  of  the  Greek  Church,  and  separate  Prayers    355 

II.  Narrative  of  Events  which  happened  to  Dr.  Wolff  at  Bokhara,  and  on  his 
Journey  thence  to  Teheraun  ;  by  Abdul  Wahab      .        .        .        .362 

III.  Digest  of  English  Policy  relative  to  Asiatic   States;  by  Captain  Con- 
olly 372 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  PLACING  THE  PLATES. 


Durbar  of  Bokhara         -...-...-  Frontispiece. 

Muhammed  Shah  Nakshbandee,  a  Descendant  of  Muhammed  -  to  face  p.    33 

The  Khaleefa  of  Mowr  and  Turkomauns          ....  "163 

Turkomaun  Lady "195 

Garden  of  the  Nayeb,  Abdul  Samut  Khan        ....  "208 

The  Grand  Cazi  of  Bokhara "209 

The  Dastar-Khanjee «        225 

Abdul  Samut  Khan        -        »        - "249 

Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  Persian  Ambassador "314 


IARBATITE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Mysterious  state  of  the  Pagan  World.  Life  of  Dr.  Wolff:  converted  to  Christiani- 
ty ;  banished  from  Rome ;  begins  his  Missionary  Labours  in  1821.  From  1821 
to  1826,  occupied  hi  Missions  among  the  Jews  in  Palestine,  Egypt,  Mesopotamia, 
Persia,  Crimea,  Georgia,  and  Ottoman  Empire.  From  1826  to  1830,  similarly 
occupied  in  Ireland,  Holland,  and  the  Mediterranean  ;  commences  a  fresh  Mis- 
sion in  1831.  In  Asia  Minor  meets  with  Armenians ;  passes  thence  to  Kurdis- 
taun.  Adventures  with  the  Head  Tearer,  Muhammed  Kale  Khan  Kerahee.  IB 
made  a  Slave  ;  saved  from  his  Captivity  by  Abbas  Mirza.  Arrives  at  Meshed  ; 
goes  to  Sarakhs,  Mowr,  Karakol,  and  Bokhara,  where  he  is  well  treated  by  the 
Ameer.  Crosses  the  Oxus  to  Balkh  ;  thence  to  Peshawr ;  enters  the  Punjaub ; 
proceeds  to  Simlah.  Kindly  received  by  Lord  and  Lady  W.  Bentinck.  Crosses 
into  Cashmeer ;  Conversation  with  Fakeers,  Brahmins,  and  Muhammedans. 
Reaches  Delhi ;  then  Agra.  Cawnpore  ;  meets  here  with  Lieutenant  Conolly ; 
Kindness  of  Lieutenant  Conolly.  Lucknow;  disputes  with  the  Muhammedan 
Mullahs  before  the  King  of  Oude.  Benares  ;  Remarks  on  the  Buddhists.  Visits 
Calcutta ;  Masulipatam  ;  Hyderabad.  Seized  with  Cholera  Morbus.  Reaches 
Madras ;  Trichinopoly  ;  Cochin  ;  meets  here  with  Black  and  White  Jews.  Goa ; 
Poonah  ;  Bombay  ;  Mocha  ;  Jiddah  ;  Suez  ;  Cairo.  Reaches  Malta,  March  20th, 
1834.  Prepares  his  Travels  for  Publication. 

"  VERILY  Thou  art  a  God  that  hidest  Thyself!  Oh  God  of  Israel, 
the  Saviour !"  This  must  be  the  exclamation  of  every  man  whose 
eye  has  attentively  marked  the  ways  of  Providence  in  the  East.  To 
one  who,  like  myself,  has  gazed  on  the  children  of  the  Gentiles  in 
their  large  scatterings,  and  on  my  own  Israel  in  her  deep  dispersions, 
the  above  passage  comes  home  to  the  soul  with  all  the  deep  and  sol- 
emn impression  that  a  sinking  sunset  in  a  tropical  land  produces. 
The  heart  is  filled  with  the  deep  mysteries  of  creativeness,  when  it 
reflects  on  the  wonderful  providence  of  God  in  the  yet  partial  reveal- 
ing. To  me  the  darkness  that  has  gathered  over  earth  appears  fast 
dissipating, — the  iron  scourge  of  the  church  of  God  for  thirteen  cen- 
turies seems  fast  corroding  in  its  strongest  hold,  and  the  prophecies  of 
its  downfall  seem  rapidly  hastening  to  fulfilment.  The  powerful  force 


24  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

of  events  of  this  character  has  attracted  the  attention  of  even  the 
busy  politicians  of  the  East,  and  they  have  owned  they  see  the  action 
of  a  more  than  ordinary  might,  and  the  Turks  themselves  speak 
clearly  of  the  speedy  rule  of  the  Giaour. 

My  own  life  has  been  as  the  scenes  I  have  witnessed.  I  began  life 
as  one  of  the  dispersed  people  of  God.  At  an  early  period  I  received 
pure  Christianity  in  the  schools  of  the  enlightened  Friedrich  Leopold, 
Count  of  Stolberg,  the  well-known  Poet,  celebrated  Greek  Scholar, 
and  Statesman ;  next  from  the  distinguished  Roman  Catholic  Bishop, 
Johannes  Michael  Sailer,  Print  at  Vienna,  Bolzano  at  Prague,  and  the 
writings  of  Fenelon,  Pascal,  and  Bossuet.  I  was  then  introduced  to 
that  excellent  Pope,  Pius  VII.,  to  Cardinal  Litta,  and  the  present 
Cardinal  Ostini,  and  entered  the  Collegio  Romano,  and  then  the  Prop- 
aganda at  Rome ;  and  though  I  am  indebted  to  the  Propaganda  for 
many  excellent  things  I  witnessed,  and  though  I  shall  always  feel 
obliged  to  speak  with  gratitude  of  Pius  VII.  and  Cardinal  Litta,  I 
nevertheless  heard  many  sentiments,  and  saw  many  practices  in  the 
Church,  against  which  my  conscience  revolted,  and  I  was  openly 
obliged  to  protest  against  them,  which  induced  Pope  Pius  VII.  and 
Cardinal  Litta  to  decree  my  banishment  from  Rome.  In  the  convent 
of  Val- Saint,  in  Switzerland,  amongst  the  monks  of  the  order  of  the 
Congregatio  Sanctissimi  Redemptoris,  or  the  so-called  Ligorians,  I  be- 
came still  more  convinced  that  my  sentiments  differed  from  those  of 
the  Church  of  Rome.  I  therefore  came  to  Cambridge  in  the  year 
1819.  Under  the  direction  of  Professor  Lee,  I  studied  the  Persian 
and  Arabic,  and  by  the  fatherly  attention  of  that  holy  man,  the  Rev. 
Charles  Simeon,  of  King's  College,  Cambridge,  I  acquired  theology, 
and  when  this  further  light  broke  in  upon  me,  became  a  member  of 
the  Church  of  England.  My  inner  world  has  thus  been  as  this  outer, 
in  which  I  have  walked. 

Let  me  now,  in  connexion  with  the  causes  that  produced  the  present 
work,  give  a  brief  summary  of  the  past  labours  that  led  to  my  last 
mission.  I  began  in  1821,  and  accomplished  in  1826,  my  missionary 
labours  among  the  dispersed  of  my  people  in  Palestine,  Egypt,  Meso- 
potamia, Persia,  Krimea,  Georgia,  and  the  Ottoman  Empire.  My 
next  labours  among  my  brethren  were  in  England,  Scotland,  Ireland, 
Holland,  and  the  Mediterranean,  from  1826  to  1830.  I  then  pro- 
ceeded to  Turkey,  Persia,  Turkistaun,  Bokhara,  AfFghanistaun,  Cash- 
meer,  Hindustaun,  and  the  Red  Sea,  from  1831  to  1834.  Bokhara 
and  Balkh — when,  in  1829,  at  Jerusalem— occupied  especially  my  at- 
tention, on  the  ground  that  I  expected  to  find  in  them  the  traces  of  the 
lost  Ten  Tribes  of  the  Dispersion.  This  led  to  my  first  visit  to  Bok- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  25 

hara.  Before,  however,  I  proceed  to  this,  I  am  induced,  at  the  solici- 
tation of  many  kind  friends,  to  dwell  on  a  few  leading  circumstances 
before  my  arrival  in  that  city.  They  will  also  be  necessary  in  great 
part  to  the  clear  understanding  of  the  subsequent  portion  of  this  nar- 
rative. 

In  passing  through  Asia  Minor,  I  held  numerous  and  interesting 
conversations  with  the  Armenians  and  the  Mussulmans.  With  the 
latter  especially  I  omitted  no  opportunity  that  was  afforded  me,  con- 
sistent with  their  habits,  of  inculcating  a  far  higher  reverence  for 
Christ,  than  that  profound  respect  even  in  which  they  hold  his  name. 
I  omitted  no  opportunity,  I  say  also,  of  examining  both  Armenian, 
Persian,  Hebrew,  Arabic  and  Greek  MSS.  In  the  Armenian  Bible, 
for  example,  I  found  an  important  variation.  In  Daniel  viii.  14,  they 
read  2068,  whereas  in  our  version  it  is  2300.  In  this  passage,  a  MS. 
in  the  possession  of  the  Jews  of  Bokhara,  reads  2400  instead  of  2300. 
With  the  Yeseedee,  or  worshippers  of  the  devil,  I  held  long  conver- 
sations. This  singular  people,  amid  one  of  their  strange  rites,  dance 
annually  around  the  ruins  of  ancient  .Babylon. 

In  Kurdistaun  I  had  long  conferences  with  the  Jews,  whom  I  found 
possessed  of  much  learning.  I  spoke  with  them  in  Hebrew  and  Chal- 
dean, which  they  mix  considerably  with  Turkish.  Several  rabbins, 
however,  spoke  Hebrew  remarkably  well.  I  had  also,  in  Teheraun, 
affecting  interviews  with  the  Jews,  in  which  I  expounded  to  them  the 
Scriptures.  Various  curious  conversations  that  I  had  with  the  Sheahs, 
or  followers  of  AH,  in  Persia,  would  fill  volumes.  With  the  Guebres, 
or  worshippers  of  fire,  how  often  also  have  1  conversed  in  Shiraz,  Isfa- 
han, and  Kashaun.  How  singular  and  wild  the  aspect  of  the  sons  of 
fire  !  How  analogous  their  angel  history  to  the  Jewish  !  How  simi- 
lar to  the  rites  of  Vesta  !  How  like  that  early  adoration  when  my 
people  bowed  to  the  luminous  Shechinah  of  the  Lord !  Yet  if  idolatry 
has  been  rife  on  my  path,  rarely  has  my  step  fallen  where  I  did  not 
trace  Christianity.  In  Egypt  I  found  the  Kopts ;  in  Palestine,  the 
Maronites,  Syrians,  Greeks,  Armenians,  and  Armenian  Catholics ;  in 
Mesopotamia,  at  Merdeen,  Mosool,  Arbel,  and  Bagdad,  I  met  the  Ja- 
cobites, the  followers  of  Nestorius,  and  Roman  Catholics  ;  in  Asia  Mi- 
nor, at  Trebizond,  Bayazid,  Shooshe  in  Karabagh,  again  Armenians  ; 
at  Tiflis,  the  Georgians.  Again,  how  singularly  did  I  find  in  these 
regions  the  same  great  differences  of  Calvinism  and  Arminianism  that 
exist  among  ourselves.  We  are  too  apt  to  look  on  the  Muhammedan 
as  a  fatalist ;  but  in  Mecca,  as  well  as-  elsewhere,  the  limits  of  the 
will  are  freely  discussed.  Haje  Sheikh  Muhammed  told  me,  in  the 
words  of  Milton,  "  Foreknowledge  of  God  does  not  affect  the  free  will 

4 


26  NARRATIVE   Ofr   THE 

of  men."  How  eternal  and  inextinguishable  also  appeared  the  cus- 
toms  of  the  East !  For  instance,  the  shepherd  precedes  his  sheep  and 
his  sheep  follow  him,  the  judges  sit  under  the  gate,  the  disciples  of  the 
learned  pour  water  on  the  hands  of  their  masters,  the  Jews  swear  by 
the  Temple  of  Jerusalem ;  and  Jew,  Christian,  and  Muhammedan,  by 
their  heads  ;  the  bride  is  awakened  by  the  screams  of  other  women, 
exclaiming,  "  The  bridegroom  cometh ;"  torches  are  carried  before 
her  at  midnight ;  the  war  about  wells,  as  in  the  time  of  Moses  and  Ja- 
cob, still  subsists  in  Yemen ;  the  lamentations  over  a  nurse  are  also 
continued  ;  the  names  of  people  are  still  given  to  indicate  the  events 
of  the  period  ;  the  king  bestows  a  name  significative  of  his  employ  on 
his  minister  ;  the  lepers  sit  outside  the  gates  of  cities  ;  bad  vines  are 
called  Vines  of  Sodom ;  holy  places  are  approached  by  putting  the 
shoes  from  off  the  feet ;  the  scarf  is  wrought  on  both  sides  ;  the  Re- 
chabite  plants  no  vineyard,  sows  no  seed,  lives  in  tents ;  the  Derveesh, 
like  the  Nazarite  of  old,  still  makes  vows  that  no  razor  shall  come 
upon  his  head  ;  barren  women  still  perform  pilgrimages  to  holy  places, 
and  this  state  is  held  in  abhorrence,  as  in  ancient  time ;  Armenian 
women  vow,  like  Hannah  of  old,  that  if  they  receive  a  son,  he  shall 
be  devoted  to  God  ;  cities  of  refuge  for  the  shedder  of  blood  unawares, 
still  subsist,  and  the  person  guilty  of  blood  must  flee  with  his  family, 
like  the  first  murderer,  to  other  places. 

From  various  conversations  with  Affghauns  in  Khorassaun  and 
elsewhere,  I  learnt  that  some  of  them  are  proud  of  an  origin  from  the 
children  of  Israel,  but  I  doubt  the  truth  of  that  partial  tradition.  Amid 
the  khans  of  Khorassaun>  Muhammed  Izhak  Kerahe  of  Torbad  Hy- 
darea,  the  Rustam  of  the  East,  was  the  most  remarkable  for  ferocity. 
At  Sangerd  the  caravan  was  attacked  by  robbers  ;  one  of  them  seized 
my  horse,  crying  out,  "Pool!"  (money) ;  I  gave  him  all  I  had.  I 
was  soon  surrounded  by  others,  stripped  even  of  the  shirt  on  my  back, 
and  had  a  rag  covered  with  vermin  thrown  over  me,  and  was  brought 
out  into  the  highway,  where  all  my  fellow -travellers  of  the  caravan 
were  assembled,  weeping  and  crying,  and  bound  to  the  tails  of  horses. 
The  robbers  were  twenty-four  in  number.  We  were  driven  along  by 
them  in  continual  gallop,  on  account  of  the  approach  of  the  Turko- 
mauns  ;  for  if  the  Turkomauns  had  found  them  out,  our  robbers  would 
have  been  made  slaves  by  them,  they  being  Sheahs  themselves.  Du- 
ring the  night  three  prisoners  escaped.  At  two  in  the  morning  we 
slept  in  a  forest.  They  had  pity  on  me,  and  gave  me  a  cup  of  tea 
made  of  my  own  ;  they  then  put  a  price  on  me  and  my  servant,  valu- 
ing him  at  ten  and  myself  at  five  tomauns.  They  took  his  money 
from  him,  by  which  I  found  that  he  had  previously  robbed  me  of  six- 


OF   DR.   WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  27 

teen  tomauns.  After  this  we  were  put  in  irons.  They  consulted 
about  killing  me,  but  did  not  do  so,  from  fear  of  Abbas  Mirza.  The 
promise  of  a  good  ransom  at  Torbad  Hydarea  saved  my  life.  The 
first  question  put  by  the  robbers  openly  before  the  people  of  Torbad 
was,  "  How  is  the  tyrant  Muhammed  Izhak  Khan  going  on  ?  Is  he 
not  yet  dead  ?"  They  replied,  "  No  ;  but  one  of  his  sons  is  dead." 
Rollers.  "  A  pity  that  he  died  not  himself,  then  we  should  be  free 
from  that  tyrant,  and  not  be  obliged  to  plunder  people  in  the  path,  and 
eat  the  bread  of  blood."  We  saw  hundreds  of  blind  persons,  of  both 
sexes,  near  the  gate  of  Torbad.  The  robbers  turned  to  me,  and  said, 
"  Do  you  see  these  blind  men  and  women  ?  their  eyes  were  taken  out 
by  that  eye-cutting  and  head-tearing  tyrant  Muhammed  Izhak  Khan, 
of  Torbad  Hydarea.*  God  curse  him  and  curse  his  house, — curse 
him  in  his  getting  up, — curse  him  in  his  lying  down  !  God  curse  his 
wife,  and  the  fruit  of  her  womb  ! — and  may  he  that  has  made  many 
widows,  may  he  die,  that  the  dogs  drink  his  blood,  that  his  wives  may 
be  widows,  and  his  children  orphans." 

Though  naked,  they  examined  us  narrowly  as  we  entered  Torbad, 
thinking  we  might  have  money  concealed  about  us.  I  exclaimed, 
JjjmD1'  SEE,  "  Hear,  Israel,"  (a  common  exclamation  of  my  country, 
men  throughout  the  world,)  and  was  soon  surrounded  by  Jews.  They 
pledged  themselves  that  I  shquld  not  run  away,  received  me  to  their 
homes,  where  I  preached  to  them  the  Gospel  of  Jesus.  They  were 
quite  ignorant  of  his  history,  sufferings,  and  death,  which  also  con- 
vinces me  that  the  Jews  of  Khorassaun  and  Bokhara  are  of  the  Ten 
Tribes  who  never  returned  to  Palestine  after  the  Babylonish  captivity. 
Therefore  there  still  remains  to  be  fulfilled  the  prophecy  recorded  in 
Ezekiel  xxxix.  28  :  "  Then  shall  they  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  their 
God  which  caused  them  to  be  led  into  captivity  among  the  nations, 
but  I  have  gathered  them  unto  their  own  land,  and  have  left  none  of 
them  any  more  there."  The  next  day  I  was  desired  to  go  back  to  the 
robbers,  when  I  was  suddenly  put  into  irons,  and  chained  with  the 
rest  of  the  slaves.  One  of  the  slave  sellers,  a  malicious  Kurd, 
squeezed  the  irons  over  my  legs  crossways,  to  pain  me  still  further. 
My  fellow  slaves,  though  bound  in  one  common  chain,  cursed  me  in- 
cessantly. The  director  of  the  police  said,  "  To  this  infidel  you  must 
give  neither  water  to  drink,  nor  a  galyoon  to  smoke,  for  he  is  nedshas 
(unclean).  If  he  is  thirsty,  he  may  go  to  the  well  and  drink  like  any 
other  dog."  Suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  my  persecutions,  a  man  ap- 

*  He  places  his  hands  on  the  head  of  his  subjects,  and  literally,  from  his  enor- 
mous strength,  rends  the  scalp,  and  it  is  said  sometimes  the  skull,  of  his  victims. 


28  NARRATIVE   OF   THE    MISSION 

peared,  who  exclaimed,  "  Is  any  Englishman  here  ?"  "  Yes,  yes," 
was  my  exclamation.  The  chains  were  removed,  a  soldier  of  Abbas 
Mirza  had  arrived  with  a  letter  for  Muhammed  Izhak  Kahn,  ordering 
him  to  release  me.  He  gave  instant  orders  to  that  effect,  and  basti- 
nadoed the  robbers,  wishing  the  whole  matter  to  appear  as  done  with- 
out his  consent.  I  was  brought  before  him.  He  is  a  tall  stout  man, 
with  very  large  eyes,  of  black  complexion,  never  looking  into  your 
face,  but  with  a  down  glance,  a  deep  thundering  voice.  His  sword, 
they  say,  is  continually  girt  about  him,  and  he  does  not  lay  it  aside 
even  in  the  bath.  No  one  knows  where  he  sleeps.  He  was  seated 
upon  a  high  throne,  all  others  standing  at  a  distance,  terror  in  every 
look.  He  demanded  what  sum  had  been  taken  from  me.  I  replied, 
Eighty  tomauns.  He  got  it  from  the  robbers,  but  kept  it  himself. 
He  then  said,  "  You  came  here  with  books  in  order  to  show  us  the 
right  way ;  well,  go  on."  This  personage  I  shall  again  introduce  to 
my  readers  on  my  second  visit  to  these  regions,  which  has  led  me  to 
be  thus  ample  in  my  present  statement. 

On  my  arrival  after  these  matters  at  Meshed,  I  had  long  interviews 
with  my  nation.  The  Jewish  Sooffees  of  this  place  acknowledge 
Moses,  Jesus,  Muhammed,  and  124,000  Prophets.  They  are  under 
small  moral  control.  They  have  a  poem  in  Persian,  written  with 
Jewish  Persian  characters,  called  T&ussuf-u-Zuleika,  Joseph  and 
Zuleika,  describing  the  love  of  Potiphar's  wife  for  Joseph.  They  have 
Hafiz  in  a  similar  character.  They  speak  of  an  exoteric  and  esoteric 
religion,  like  the  philosophers  of  old.  I  reasoned  with  them  on  their 
flagitious  violations  of  morality,  and  the  insincerity  of  their  conduct. 
That  they  knew'  that  they  were  in  the  wrong,  and  that  they  stood  in 
need  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  in  order  to  be  saved.  They  observed 
that  I  was  the  second  Englishman  they  had  seen,  who  was  attached 
to  the  Book ;  THE  FIRST  WAS  LIEUTENANT  ARTHUR  CONOLLY.  How 
singularly  have  I  followed  his  steps,  even  up  to  the  hour  almost  of  his 
death!  He  was  at  Meshed  in  1829.  I  wrote  of  him  before  I  knew 
that  I  should  be  so  singularly  connected  with  the  inquiry  into  his 
death,  as  follows :  "  He  is  an  excellent,  intrepid,  and  well-principled 
traveller.  The  misfortune  of  this  gentleman  was,  that  he  had  no  in- 
terest with  great  men,  on  which  account  he  was  not  remunerated  for 
his  journeys  to  Meshed,  Heraut,  and  Candahar."  After  this  it  will 
again  and  again  be  seen,  how  closely  I  have  followed  my  pious  and 
excellent  friend's  path  in  the  various  regions  he  has  trod. 

At  Meshed,  His  Royal  Highness  Abbas  Mirza  ordered  me  to  be 
brought  before  him.  After  kind  inquiries  of  my  health,  he  deeply  re- 
gretted  my  captivity  in  Khorassaun ;  and  told  me,  when  I  went  to 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  29 

Bokhara,  to  assure  the  Ameer  that  he  had  no  intention  of  taking  his 
country,  but  that  he  was  determined  to  put  a  stop  to  slavery.  He 
wrote  with  his  own  hand  both  a  pass  for  me  and  certificate  of  the  ob- 
ject of  my  journey  to  Bokhara.  Meshed  is  a  grossly  immoral  place, 
despite  its  holy  character.  The  number  of  pilgrims  that  arrive  at  the 
tomb  of  Imam  Resa  amounts  to  twenty  thousand. 

From  Meshed  I  proceeded  through  Tflrkistaun;  and  first  let  me 
speak  of  Sarakhs,  a  place  of  doubtful  origin  in  its  etymological  root. 
Some  derive  it  from  the  Arabic  zara,  sowing  ;  others  from  sarak,  to 
steal.  It  is  the  country  of  slave-stealing,  and  therefore  this  latter 
etymon  is  not  improbable.  Eighteen  hundred  families  of  Turko- 
mauns,  of  the  celebrated  tribe  of  Salor,  live  there.  I  lectured  on  this 
spot  with  deep  earnestness  to  the  Jews,  and  I  believe,  made  many 
permanent  impressions,  which  I  found  confirmed  on  my  second  visit. 
All  the  Jews  of  Turkistaun  assert  that  the  Turkomauns  are  the  de- 
scendants of  Togarmah,  one  of  the  sons  of  Gomer,  mentioned  in  Genesis 
x.  3.  The  Turkomauns  have  no  mosque :  they  pray  apart  from  each 
other,  either  in  the  field  or  the  tent.  Twice  in  the  year  they  assemble 
in  the  desert,  and  prefer  their  prayer.  I  passed  hence  to  Mowr,  and 
thence  to  Jehaar-Joo, — two  places  of  which  I  shall  discourse  at  greater 
length  when  I  enumerate  them  on  my  last  tour  in  that  direction. 

I  passed  thence  to  Karakol.  The  governor  of  this  place,  Muham- 
med  Hussein  Khan,  was  formerly  a  Guzl-Bash  slave,  but  gained  the 
favour  of  Shah  Hydur,  and  was  exalted  to  the  position  of  Ameer  and 
governor  of  Karakol.  When  I  told  him  that  my  object  was  to  inquire 
into  the  state  of  the  Jews,  and  hold  friendly  intercourse  with  the  Mu- 
hammedans  at  Bokhara,  he  advised  me  to  do  nothing  without  consulting 
the  Goosh-Bekee,  or  vizier.  He  also  demanded  my  opinion  about  the 
mullahs  issuing  Fetwa,  or  Bulls,  that  the  Turkomauns  should  make 
slaves  of  the  Guzl-Bash.  I  replied  that  I  disapproved  of  it.  He  then, 
after  many  cautions,  requested  me  to  write  him  out  a  prayer  for  his 
devotions,  which  I  did,  in  Persian,  and  advised  him  to  read  it  daily. 

After  this  I  entered  Bokhara.  I  then  presented  my  letters,  under- 
went much  rigid  questioning  from  the  Goosh-Bekee  on  various  points, 
such  as  whether  Muhammed  was  predicted  in  our  sacred  books,  my 
belief  in  Jesus,  and  the  objects  of  my  journey.  I  then  explained  to  the 
Jews  my  mission,  read  in  their  synagogue  the  law  of  Moses,  but  dis- 
continued any  further  participation  in  their  services. 

The  king,  Behadur  Khan,  was  then  twenty-eight  years  of  age.  He 
spends  his  mornings  in  reading  the  Arabic  writings  of  Jelaal  and  By- 
dawee  with  the  mullahs,  visits  the  grave  of  Baba  Deen,  a  sanctified 
derveesh  of  Bokhara,  and  hears  causes  of  dispute  during  the  remainder 


30  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

of  the  day  among  his  subjects.  He  is  terribly  dreaded  by  his  min- 
isters. 

The  Jews  in  Bokhara  are  10,000  in  number.  The  chief  rabbi 
assured  me  that  Bokhara  is  the  Habor,  and  Balkh  the  Halah,  of  the 
2nd  Kings,  xvii.  6  ;  but  that  in  the  reign  of  Ghengis  Khan  they  lost 
all  their  written  accounts.  At  Balkh  the  Mussulman  mullahs  assured 
me  that  it  was  built  by  a  son  of  Adam,  that  its  first  name  had  been 
Hanakh,  and  afterwards  Halah,  though  later  writers  called  it  Balakh, 
or  Balkh.  The  Jews,  both  of  Balkh  and  Samarcand,  assert  that 
Turkistaun  is  the  land  of  Nod,  and  Balkh  where  Nod  "  once  stood." 
In  this  land  of  Cain  the  Jews  bear  a  mark,  by  order  of  the  King  of 
Bokhara,  in  order  that  no  Mussulman  may  give  them  Salaam — Peace. 
To  Rabbi  Joseph  Mooghrubee,  an  African,  the  Jews  of  Bokhara  owe 
the  restoration  of  their  ancient  customs ;  they  had  nearly  lost  all  trace 
of  them,  in  their  sojourn  among  Muhammedans.  This  great  man,  I 
was  assured  by  his  son-in-law,  Rabbi  Pinehas  Ben-Simha,  used  to 
say,  "  Oh,  Lord,  when  will  the  time  come  that  the  followers  of  Jesus 
will  take  possession  of  these  countries  ?"  This  son-in-law  is  now  a 
Christian,  and  was  converted  by  me ;  and  so  are  many  others  of  the 
Jews  at  present  in  Bokhara.  Jews  came  to  me  here  from  Samarcand, 
Khokand,  and  other  places.  The  total  population  was  then  about 
13,600.  I  found  the  Epileptic  convulsion,  which  produced  such  an 
effect  for  Muhammed  among  a  people  who  call  "  gasping,"  inspiration, 
currently  handed  down  ;  and  I  have  little  doubt  that,  like  madness 
and  idiotcy,  they  were  no  mean  agents  of  his  power  among  a  people 
that  look  on  the  victims  to  these  maladies  as  the  inspired  of  God.  The 
tradition  is  an  old  one  at  Bokhara,  that  some  of  the  Ten  Tribes  are 
in  China.  I  tried  the  Jews  here  on  various  points  of  Scriptural  inter- 
pretation,  particularly  that  important  one  in  Isaiah  vii.  14 — nai*  Virgin. 
They  translated  it  as  we  Christians  do,  and  they  are  in  total  ignorance 
of  the  important  controversy  between  Jews  and  Christians  on  that 
point. 

I  obtained  a  passport  from  the  King  after  this  most  interesting  so- 
journ,  and  then  crossed  the  Oxus,  and  arrived  after  a  few  days  at 
Balkh  ;  and  from  that  city,  where  I  also  communed  with  the  dispersed 
of  Israel,  I  proceeded  to  Muzaur,  the  spot  where  Ali's  camel  disap- 
peared miraculously  at  his  tomb.  Hither  came  pilgrims  from  Aff- 
ghanistaun,  Cashmeer,  Khokand,  Shahr-Sebz,  Hindustaun,  Khiva,  and 
Bokhara.  Hence  I  proceeded  to  Cabool,  in  AfFghanistaun.  Some 
Affghauns  claim  a  descent  from  Israel.  According  to  them,  Affghaun 
was  the  nephew  of  Asaph,  the  son  of  Berachia,  who  built  the  Temple 
pf  Solomon.  The  descendants  of  this  Affghaun,  being  Jews,  were 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  31 

carried  into  Babylon  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  from  whence  they  were 
removed  to  the  mountain  of  Ghoree,  in  Affghanistaun,  but  in  the  time 
of  Muhammed  turned  Muhammedans.  They  exhibit  a  book,  Majmooa 
Alansab,  or  Collection  of  Genealogies,  written  in  Persian,  My  readers 
will  find  these  examined  in  my  former  work*,  but  here  I  shall  only 
allude  to  it.  There  is  a  great  air  of  vraisemblance  about  it,  and  their 
pedigree  is  sometimes  traced,  like  our  Lord's,  through  the  female 
branch,  which  proves  how  futile  is  the  Jewish  objection  on  that  head 
to  our  Lord's  descent. 

Hence  I  passed  to  Peshawr.  Here  I  had  also  the  singular  book 
read  to  me  of  the  origin  of  the  Affghauns,  the  Poshtoo  Book  of  Khan 
Jehaun  Loote.  The  account  in  this  book  agrees  with  that  given  in 
the  MSS.,  Teemur  Nameh  and  Ketaub  Ansabee  Muhakkek  Toose.  I 
thought  the  general  physiognomy  not  Jewish,  but  I  was  wonderfully 
struck  with  the  resemblance  that  the  Youssuf  Szeye  and  the  Khaiba- 
ree,  two  of  their  tribes,  bear  to  the  Jews.  The  Kaffre  Seeah  Poosh, 
if  AfFghauns,  vary  widely  from  the  rest  of  their  nation.  Many  trav- 
ellers have  thought  them  the  descendants  from  Alexander's  army,  but 
they  do  not  say  so.  They  have  no  exact  account  of  their  origin. 
Their  rites  are  most  singular.  In  a  large  house  called  Imr-Amaf, 
they  offer  a  cow  and  sheep  in  sacrifice.  They  sprinkle  the  blood 
upon  an  idol  seated  upon  a  horse.  They  have  a  throne  of  stone,  upon 
which  some  words  are  written,  taken  from  the  Taurat,  the  Pentateuch 
of  Moses.  They  hold  distinctions  of  clean  and  unclean  animals. 
When  a  child  is  born  they  turn  the  mother  out  of  the  village,  in  order 
that  it  may  not  be  unclean.  The  mother  and  the  child  remain  three 
days  in  the  fields.  They  worship  a  God  Imra,  and  pictures  of  their 
dead.  They  offer  sacrifices  to  both.  They  put  fire  in  the  Imra-Tan, 
i.  e.,  the  place  where  God  is  worshipped,  and  another  blazes  before 
the  idol.  They  offer  butter  and  flour,  which  they  pour  upon  the  idol, 
exclaiming,  "  Hehamaj  Otu" — Accept  it ;  and  before  the  place  of 
their  God  (Imra-tan),  they  say,  "  Hehamaj  Imra" — God  accept  it. 
The  whole  congregation  exclaims,  "  Hehamaj."  After  this  the  Otu, 
or  priest,  reads  prayers.  These  are  not  remarkable  for  their  charity : 
one  is,  "  Increase  us  our  property  ;  do  not  make  us  sick ;  and  kill  the 
Mussulmans."  After  every  prayer  they  say,  "  Hehamaj,"  and  then 
kiss  their  fingers.  Their  idols  are  of  wood  and  stone — gigantic  hu- 
man figures.  They  know  but  little  of  a  future  state,  and  their  rites 

*  Researches  and  Missionary  Labours  among  the  Jews,  Muhammedans,  and 
other  Sects.  By  the  Rev.  Joseph  Wolff.  Nisbet,  London,  1835. 

t  I  verified  on  my  last  visit  at  Bokhara  the  exactitude  of  this  account,  for  Imra 
is  God,  and  Ama,  House. 


32  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

are  largely  Pagan.  I  always  thought  that  the  Kaffre  Seeah  Poosh 
were  descendants  of  Israel ;  and  some  of  the  learned  Jews  of  Samar- 
cand  are  of  my  opinion. 

From  Peshawr,  I  entered  the  Punjaub,  May  29th,  1832.  The  Seiks 
have  a  high  veneration  for  our  Lord.  In  their  holy  book  they  have 
written,  that  rays  like  the  sun  went  out  of  the  hand  of  Christ.  At 
Jehaungeer,  Serdar  Hung  Singh  welcomed  me  in  the  name  of  the 
Maharajah.  He  was  surrounded  by  his  officers  and  soldiers.  To 
him  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  reading  the  sermon  of  Jesus  on  the 
Mount,  which  all  listened  to  with  great  apparent  delight.  This  man 
was  a  devout  person.  My  conversation,  after  quitting  Lahore,  at 
Umritzer,  with  the  Lion  of  the  Punjaub,  the  Maharajah  Runjeet 
Singh,  my  readers  will  find  detailed  at  length  in  the  work  I  have 
previously  quoted.  Runjeet  Singh  dismissed  me  with  handsome 
presents. 

Crossing  from  the  country  of  Runjeet  Singh,  the  Punjaub,  which 
will  soon  become  a  British  possession,  much  to  the  advantage  of  the 
Seiks,  I  visited  our  first  British  station  in  that  direction,  Loodianah, 
on  the  utmost  northern  frontier  of  India,  and  the  hospitable  dwelling 
of  Captain  Wade,  now  Sir  Claude  Martin  Wade.  Arriving  hence, 
after  one  station,  at  Roopor,  and  Budde,  I  was  received  in  the  most 
cordial  manner  by  my  friend,  now  of  many  years,  Sir  Jeremiah  Bry- 
ant, and  proceeded  thence  to  Simlah,  where  I  was  also  most  hospitably 
received  by  Lord  and  Lady  William  Bentinck,  and  invited  to  be  their 
guest.  Here  I  entered  into  a,  most  interesting  correspondence  with 
Captain  Riley,  the  best  Arabic  scholar  in  India,  and  also  with  the 
Roman  Catholic  Bishop  of  Agra.  The  points  I  mooted  were  the  aid 
Muhammed  received  in  composing  the  Koran,  the  monk  Boohyra,  the 
Jews  of  Khybur  who  were  nearly  exterminated  by  him,  the  great 
Muhammedan  divisions  of  Sunnees  and  Sheahs,  the  Jewish  estimate 
of  the  Book  of  Daniel,  also  on  the  black  and  white  Jews  of  Cochin 
and  Malabar,  and  the  extent  of  Muhammedan  knowledge.  Captain 
Riley,  I  was  surprised  to  find,  looked  on  the  Affghauns  as  of  Jewish 
descent.  He  pointed  out  to  me  two  important  forms,  in  which  all  ref- 
utations of  the  Koran  ought  to  be  shaped,  and  numerous  other  equally 
interesting  questions  were  discussed  by  this  true  believer,  in  a  most 
learned  and  Christian  spirit. 

Obtaining  leave  to  pass  into  Cashmeer  from  Runjeet  Singh,  by 
means  of  Lord  William  Bentinck,  I  crossed  accordingly  first  to  Be- 
laspoor,  where  I  found  its  Rajah  luxuriating  in  having  apes  trampled 
to  death  under  the  feet  of  elephants  ;  and  little  worthy  of  note  passed 
until  I  reached  Nadown.  Here  the  Rajah  on  horseback,  surrounded 


"Hfc 


WI7BRSIT7 


SHLMH  IJ 

MURSHEF.D       Oh       TURKIS1AUN 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  3| 

by  soldiers,  was  performing  his  devotions  before  three  naked  Fakeers. 
I  immediately  entered  into  conversation  with  them,  and  inquired  of 
one  of  them  how  long  he  had  been  a  Fakeer.  He  replied,  "  that  he 
lived  in  God,  and  should  never  die ;  for  that  as  old  garments  were 
exchanged  for  better,  so  the  man  of  God  lays  aside  his  old  body  and 
puts  on  a  new  one."  A  beautiful  answer ;  but  when  I  wished  to  re- 
ply,  he  kept  exclaiming,  "  Be  silent  and  listen."  I  seized,  however, 
despite  of  him,  on  an  opportunity  to  point  out  the  truth  of  our  revela- 
tion. An  unhappy  peevishness  marks  all  these  ascetics.  St.  Jerome 
was  not  free  from  it.  True  peace  of  mind  dwells  not  necessarily  in 
caves  and  grottoes,  on  the  pillar  of  a  Simon  Stylites,  or  in  the  deserts 
of  the  Thebais  with  Antony.  Active  energy  in  promoting  truth  and 
virtue  is  worth  all  the  sedentary  graces  of  Fakeers,  Monks,  or  Solita- 
ries. I  do  not  impugn  their  merits  in  their  peculiar  path,  but  it  is  ob- 
viously not  one  of  general  obligation.  Simon  Stylites,  however,  was 
more  practical  than  is  commonly  supposed  ;  he  preached  to  thousands 
of  Arabs,  as  did  Antony  also. 

I  cannot  detail  the  numerous  interesting  conversations  on  the  Vedas, 
and  other  works,  which  I  entered  into  in  this  country,  with  various 
Hindoos,  until  I  reached  Cashmeer,  the  city  of  the  Genii,  who  bore 
Solomon  through  the  air  to  see  its  magic  beauty.  I  was  disappointed 
with  its  present  state.  I  inquired  out  the  chief  mullahs,  and  com- 
menced various  conversations  with  them :  with  a  descendant  of  the 
false  prophet  M uhammed  Shah  Nakshbandee  especially.  He  received 
me  with  great  .cordiality.  He  actually  read,  in  Persian,  to  his  disci- 
ples, the  24th  and  25th  chapters  of  Matthew,  and  I  then  spoke  of  re- 
generation, and  they  read  the  third  chapter  of  John.  All  the  Brah- 
mins I  met  with  had  an  unlucky  habit  of  affirming  that  what  I  said 
was  in  the  Shastar,  and  used  no  further  argument.  Perceiving  this, 
I  demanded  on  one  occasion  of  the  venerable  Brahmin  Sheuram,  "  In 
how  many  Gods  do  you  believe  ?"  Sheuram.  "  There  is  one  God  ; 
but  he  has  many  names.  The  whole  earth  stands  upon  the  serpent 
Sheshnag ;  she  has  1000  teeth  and  2000  tongues ;  with  every  tongue 
she  pronounces  every  day  a  new  name  of  God  ;  and  this  she  has  done 
for  centuries  on  centuries,  never  repeating  a  name  once  pronounced." 
A  similarly  wild  account  was  given  in  reply  to  a  question  on  the  his* 
tory  of  the  creation,  with  confused  traces  of  truth  in  it. 

I  must,  however,  observe,  that  there  is  far  more  of  original  truth  in 
the  Vedas  than  in  the  Koran.  I  see  in  the  Koran  nothing  else  but  a 
pretended  prophet  without  miracles,  a  faith  without  mysteries,  and  a 
morality  without  love.  A  shallow  Deism,  which  takes  hold  of  the 
heart,  but  does  not  make  it  better,  but  worse.  Hence  the  intolerant 

5 


34  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

fanaticism  which  has  produced  nothing  but  death  and  destruction. 
M uhammedanism  has  been  founded  by  the  sword,  and  Muhammedan- 
ism  shall  be  destroyed  by  the  sword. 

The  Hindoos  will  be  converted,  but  Muhammedans  destroyed.  We 
find  hundreds  of  Hindoos  already  converted  by  the  zeal  of  Roman 
Catholic  and  Anglo-Catholic  missionaries,  but  we  do  not  find  six  Mu- 
hammedans, especially  among  the  Turks.  I  can  only  trace  two  Per- 
sians, and  one  Arab.  Buchanan  was  misinformed  wholly  by  the  in- 
famous apostate  Sabat. 

While  here,  Moulavie  Khyr  Addeen,  writer  of  the  History  of  Cash- 
meer,  came  to  me.  With  him  I  had  a  discussion  for  four  hours,  about 
the  divinity  of  Jesus,  and  it  did  small  credit  to  his  knowledge  of  mod- 
ern history.  One  of  his  proofs  for  the  truth  of  the  Muhammedan  re- 
ligion was,  that  all  the  Christian  powers  are  subjects  of  and  give  trib- 
ute to  the  Sultan  of  Constantinople.  I  settled  that  point  by  alluding 
to  Sir  E.  Codrington's  Settlement  of  the  battle  of  Navarino.  The 
Brahmins  and  Pundits  listened  with  great  attention. 

It  was  my  intention  to  have  passed  into  Thibet,  but  the  snows  pre- 
vented me.  I  left  Cashmeer  on  October  21st,  1832.  On  our  route 
we  were  accompanied  by  fugitives  from  Cashmeer,  flying  from  the 
oppression  of  Runjeet  Singh.  Women,  walking  destitute  of  every- 
thing, carrying  their  children  on  their  heads.  They  told  me,  in  their 
powerful  language,  that  they  inherited  the  beauty  of  angels,  but  that 
all  beauty  had  withered  under  the  dominion  of  the  Seiks.  They  told 
me,  en  route,  many  a  singular  legend  of  the  celebrated  Fakeers,  that 
died  at  Cashmeer.  Ameer  Kebeer,  king  of  Hamadan,  forsook  the  world, 
and  became  a  Fakeer  in  Cashmeer.  Huzrut  Mukhdoom  Sheikh 
Hamsa  had  three  hundred  thousand  disciples.  Shah  Kasem  Akhanee 
said,  "  When  you  shall  see  corn  growing  upon  my  grave,  then  the  day 
of  resurrection  is  nigh  at  hand."  The  people  of  Cashmeer  assured 
me  that  corn  had  begun  to  grow  upon  his  grave,  and  therefore  they 
consider  my  words  to  be  true,  that  Jesus  will  come. 

After  various  journeys  I  reached  Delhi  on  December  6th,  and  was 
introduced  to  the  Mogul,  who  gave  me  a  robe  of  honour.  While  at 
Delhi,  in  the  presence  of  several  thousand  Muhammedans,  I  conversed 
with  the  grand  mullah, — a  man  of  great  scientific  renown, — Muham- 
med  Izhak.  He  sent  me  a  letter  at  some  length,  detailing  the  grounds 
of  his  belief  in  the  Koran,  of  the  ascent  of  Muhammed  into  heaven, 
of  his  return,  that  he  was  the  last  of  the  Prophets,  and  stated  to  be 
such  by  the  Prophets.  To  this  I  simply  replied,  that  I  wanted  proof 
of  two  things.  1st.  That  Muhammed  went  to  and  returned  from 
Heaven.  2nd.  Those  prophets  who  had  prophesied  his  mission.  To 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  35 

this  he  replied,  that  Muhammed's  mission  was  clear  from  the  nume- 
rous miracles  he  worked  ;  next,  from  the  divine  and  superhuman  per- 
fection  of  the  composition  of  the  Koran,  the  bodily  strength  of  the 
Prophet,  his  numerous  adherents;  and  he  concluded  by  demanding 
what  proof  I  had  that  Jesus  was  the  last  of  the  Prophets.  I  replied, 
1st.  That  none  of  these  numerous  miracles  were  recorded  in  the 
Koran.  2nd.  That  a  mere  matter  of  critical  style,  such  as  the  com- 
position of  a  book,  could  not  be  considered  as  a  grave  argument,  and 
that  the  most  learned  Muhammedan  scholars  of  Shiraz  were  by  no 
means  of  opinion  that  the  composition  of  the  Koran  was  unrivalled, 
and  if  so,  still  a  good  composition  even  might  convey  untruth.  3rd. 
That,  as  we  denied  the  authority  of  the  Koran,  that  could  avail  no- 
thing in  argument.  4th.  That  Goliath  had  a  bodily  strength  equal  to 
any,  nay,  superior  to  any  in  his  day.  5th.  That  Buddhism  had  more 
adherents  than  Muhammedanism,  if  numbers  went  for  anything ;  but 
that  information  in  arts  and  sciences,  in  which  Europeans  were  con. 
fessedly  great,  on  their  own  showing,  was  a  much  more  certain  cri- 
terion. Lastly.  That  the  proof  that  Jesus  was  the  last  of  the  Prophets 
was  not  a  question  with  us.  I  did  not  undertake  to  show  that  abso- 
lutely, but  Jesus  was  the  end  of  the  law  to  us, — that  if  even  an  angel 
preached  a  new  Gospel,  he  should  be  held  accursed, — and  that,  there- 
fore, I  could  not  believe  in  Muhammed. 

From  Delhi  I  passed  to  Agra,  and  thence  to  various  places  until  I 
reached  Cawnpore.  HERE  I  MET  WITH  LIEUTENANT  CONOLLY.  When 
I  travelled  first  in  Khorassaun,  in  the  year  1831,  I  heard  at  Meshed, 
by  the  Jews,  that  an  English  traveller  had  preceded  me  there,  by  the 
name  of  Arthur  Conolly,  as  I  have  already  mentioned.  They  de- 
scribed him  as  a  man  who  lived  in  the  fear  of  God  and  of  religion. 
The  moment  I  arrived  he  took  me  to  his  house,  and  not  only  showed 
me  the  greatest  hospitality,  but,  as  I  was  at  that  time  short  of  money, 
he  gave  me  every  assistance  in  his  power  ;  and  not  only  so, — he  re- 
vised my  Journal  for  me  with  the  most  unaffected  kindness.  He  also 
collected  the  Muhammedan  mullahs  to  his  house,  and  permitted  me 
not  only  to  discuss  with  them  the  subject  of  religion,  but  gave  me 
most  substantial  assistance  in  combating  their  arguments.  Conolly 
was  a  man  possessed  of  a  deep  Scriptural  knowledge  ;  a  capital  text- 
uary  ;  and  I  bless  God  that  he  enjoyed  that  comfort  in  his  captivity, 
that  inward  light,  when  the  iron  of  tyranny — in  his  case  as  in  that  of 
holy  Joseph— entered  into  his  soul.  Various  enemies  are  always  found 
to  attack  the  lone  missionary.  Nobly  and  well  did  this  gallant  soldier 
acquit  himself  in  the  church  militant,  both  in  deeds  of  arms,  and  deep 
devotion  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  In  1838  I  again  met  with  him  in 


36  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

England.  Here  our  friendship  was  renewed.  At  Constantinople  I  learnt 
he  expressed  his  deep  affection  for  me  to  Count  Sturmer.  I  often 
wished  to  repay  him  my  debt  of  gratitude  ;  and  the  instant  the  new* 
reached  me  of  his  captivity  in  Bokhara,  I  offered  my  aid  to  release 
him  in  letters  to  his  family.  When  I  reflect  on  our  past  intercourse, 
it  brings  with  it  the  pleasing  reflection  that  the  spiritual  element  was 
mainly  dominant  in  it ;  that  we  were  together  to  become  daily  holier 
and  better  men  ;  that  our  hands  did  not  join  in  deeds  of  iniquity,  but 
were  upraised  to  God  our  Maker  and  Saviour.  His  firm  conduct  at 
his  dying  hour  reminds  us  forcibly  of  the  bearing  of  those  brave  sol- 
diers who  died  in  the  persecution  of  Decius  and  Diocletian.  I  hope 
to  see  my  Conolly  among  them  at  the  hour  of  Christ's  coming  in  glory. 

I  cannot  speak  more  of  Cawnpore,  for  it  is  embittered  to  my  mem- 
ory, and  shall  pass  on  to  Lucknow.  Here  I  was  introduced  to  the 
King  of  Oude,  and  His  Majesty  gave  me  ten  thousand  rupees,  one 
thousand  pounds  sterling.  With  which  money  I  repaid  to  John  Hook- 
ham  Frere,  now  residing  at  Malta,  my  excellent  friend,  the  sum  of 
five  hundred  pounds,  which  he  had  generously  advanced  to  me  to  de- 
fray the  expense  of  my  mission ;  and  equally  happy  should  I  feel  to 
be  enabled  to  repay  my  noble  friend  Captain  Grover,  the  four  hundred 
pounds,  which  he  has  spent  out  of  his  pocket,  which  that  miscreant 
Abdul  Samut  Khan  extorted  from  me.  But,  alas,  I  am  not  able,  for 
I  am  out  of  pocket  four  hundred  pounds,  paid  with  the  money  of  my 
dear  wife,  Lady  Georgiana  M.  Wolff.  For  proof  of  which  circum- 
stance, I  can  refer  to  Messrs.  Drummond,  Bankers,  Charing  Cross. 

His  Majesty  said  he  would  appoint  a  day  for  the  mullahs  to  hear 
my  faith  discussed.  I  held  disputations  with  several  Mussulmans  of 
the  Sheah  persuasion,  and  lectured  here  on  the  prophecies  of  the  sec- 
ond coming  of  our  Lord. 

On  February  the  2nd,  in  the  presence  of  the  King,  clothed  in  royal 
robes,  with  a  crown  on  his  head,  I  entered  into  my  appointed  disputa- 
tion with  the  mullahs.  Major  Low,  and  my  most  beloved  friends  Sir 
Jeremiah  and  Lady  Bryant,  were  there  also.  I  cited,  in  proof  of  my 
belief,  the  fifty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah.  All  the  mullahs  opened  their 
Bibles,  and  I  stated  the  argument  for  the  Trinity.  A  discussion  took 
place  on  the  twenty-first  chapter  of  Isaiah,  whence,  to  my  astonish- 
ment, they  attempted  to  show  from  the  "  Burden  on  Arabia,"  the  mis- 
sion of  Muhammed.  This  is  erroneously  translated  in  the  Arabic 
Bible,  "  Prophecy  on  Arabia."  I  proved  to  them,  however,  that  it 
meant  a  prophecy  predicting  a  calamity  to  Arabia.  This  of  course 
settled  the  question. 

I  must  here  fully  state  my  hearty  conviction — the  result  of  the  ex- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  37 

perience  of  more  than  twenty  years  of  travels — of  the  immense  util- 
ity of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  The  Word  of  God 
would  have  been  entirely  extinct  among  the  Eastern  Christians  but 
for  that  Society.  Its  copies  are  in  the  hands  of  mullahs  of  all  de- 
.nominations,  not  only  in  Asia,  but  even  in  the  deserts  of  Tflrkistaun. 
The  agents  they  employ  are  excellent  men ;  I  only  need  mention 
the  Rev.  H.  Leeves,  at  Athens,  and  Benjamin  Barker,  Esq.,  at  Myti- 
lene,  the  capital  of  Lesbos.  It  is  utterly  absurd  to  say  that  all  be- 
nevolent societies  are  to  be  under  the  direction  of  bishops ;  even  the 
Church  of  Rome,  in  her  powerful  discipline,  has  never  followed  this 
plan, — that  all  benevolent  societies  are  necessarily  to  be  placed  un- 
der episcopal  control, — nor  does  the  Church  of  Armenia.  We  have 
hospitals  without  bishops, — why  should  not  the  Word  of  God  be  circu- 
lating by  the  layman  or  the  presbyter  ?  I  thank  God  that  there  is 
also  a  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  which  does  not 
give  only  the  Bible,  but  also  the  Liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England ; 
for  neither  the  Jews  nor  the  Muhammedans  are  without  a  Liturgy. 
And  it  is  a  most  important  feature  to  show  the  agreement  of  the 
Church  of  England  with  other  forms  of  faith  in  this  particular.  I 
confess  I  should  also  like  to  see  a  Society  of  the  Church  of  England, 
which  should  give  to  the  world  a  systematic  Theology,  both  moral 
and  practical ;  and  such  a  system  ought  to  have  the  sanction  of  all 
the  bishops  as  well  as  the  learned  presbyters  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land :  of  this  I  should  like  to  see  a  transcript  in  every  language,  and 
circulated  to  the  four  winds. 

I  had  also  a  dispute,  in  writing,  with  Ameer  Sayd  Ahmed 
Mujtehed  of  the  Sheahs,  at  Lucknow,  but  it  is  too  long  for  me  to  in- 
sert in  this  brief  abstract  of  my  former  Indian  connection,  which  led 
to  my  intimacy  with  Captain  Conolly,  and  to  my  second  journey  to 
Bokhara. 

From  Lucknow  I  passed  to  Benares,  the  holy  city  of  India :  who- 
ever dies  there  will  obtain  Inokshu,  Absorption  into  the  Deity.  I  con- 
sider this  is  little  better  than  the  comfortable  system  of  Nirwana,  or 
Annihilation  of  the  Buddhists,  who  hold  in  a  final  state  of  annihilation 
of  all  things.  This  is  the  ultimate  boon  offered  by  a  faith  embraced 
by  the  largest  portion  of  the  East, — thank  Heaven,  not  of  the  world, 
for  the  Christians  now  outnumber  any  other  denomination. 

This  is  the  case  with  the  spiritualizers  in  the  Christian  Church ; 
they  have  an  unscriptural,  unprophetical,  unnatural  dislike  to  hear  of 
anything  but  Nature's  doom  and  Nature's  death.  Nothing  will 
satisfy  them,  but  that  the  world,  animate  and  inanimate,  once  happy 
t  it  for  a  single  day,  should  draw  its  penance  onwards  to  the  utmost 


38  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

longevity  of  miserable  age,  and  then  sink  into  annihilation.  The 
ghosts  of  the  Lamas  of  Thibet,  who  move  about  in  the  air,  are  the 
sisters  of  the  forms  visible  in  their  shadowy  Paradise.  I  do  expect 
to  rule  over  a  renovated  earth,  purified  and  redeemed,  and  in- 
habited  by  living  creatures  in  flesh  and  blood,  and  though  in  flesh 
and  blood,  redeemed  from  Satan,  sin,  and  death.  If  a  phantom! zing 
system  is  spirituality,  the  Buddhists  at  Lassa,  the  SooiFees  at  Shiraz, 
and  the  Hindoos  at  Nadown,  might  claim  analogous  influences. 

The  Hindoo  writings  contain  no  reference  to  Jesus  in  the  sacred 
books.  I  need  scarce  particularize  the  feelings  with  which,  after 
various  wanderings,  I  lectured  in  Henry  Martin's  pulpit  at  Dinapore. 
At  Giyah,  famous  for  its  Hindoo  pilgrimages,  I  explained  the  Gospel 
in  Persian  to  Hindoos  and  Muhammedans. 

At  last  the  kind  Bishop  of  Calcutta  received  me  in  his  house  on  the 
22nd  March,  1833.  Again  I  experienced  in  this  city  the  splendid 
hospitality  of  Lord  and  Lady  W.  Bentinck.  I  lectured  to  about 
twelve  hundred  persons  in  the  Town  Hall.  The  Baptist  missionaries, 
Marshman,  and  the  veteran  Carey,  welcomed  me  gladly  also,  and  in- 
vited me  to  their  splendid  and  unique  establishment  at  Serampore. 

From  Calcutta  I  passed  to  Masulipatam,  whence  I  visited  Hyder- 
abad. While  there,  the  inquiries  were  proceeding  with  respect  to  the 
Thugs,  and  I  believe  that  I  first  laid  a  complete  statement  of  that 
question  before  a  British  public.  As  the  story  of  these  monsters,  ex- 
hibiting a  totally  new  form  of  crime,  is  now  fully  known  in  this  coun- 
try, this  wholesale  murder  and  theft  system,  I  shall  not  here  enter 
into  it.  On  my  journey  from  Hyderabad  to  Madras,  I  was  attacked 
with  cholera  the  instant  I  entered  the  Bungalow  of  Mr.  Bruce  of  Nel- 
lore,  at  Ramapatam.  It  was  accompanied  by  cramp  and  dysentery. 
With  no  European  near  me,  I  commended  my  soul  to  God.  My 
hands  and  feet  became  convulsed,  but  I  felt  peace  in  Christ  amid  all 
my  sufferings.  I  prayed  to  Him  to  send  me  relief,  and  I  had  scarce 
done  so  before  a  voice  exclaimed  near  me,  in  English,  "  I  see  you 
have  the  cholera  morbus  ;  my  husband  died  of  it  two  months  ago." 
The  person  who  spoke  was  a  half-Indian,  or,  as  she  called  herself,  in 
humility,  a  half-caste, — the  wife  of  a  serjeant  of  Vellore,  of  the  name 
of  Gillespie.  She  gave  me  a  whole  bottle  of  brandy  with  two  hun- 
dred drops  of  laudanum,  and  other  remedies*.  The  remedies  of  my 

*  The  kindness  of  that  woman,  and  others,  convinced  me  that  it  is  too  harsh  an 
assertion  to  affirm  the  general  depravity  of  the  half-Indians.  There  are  generous 
and  noble-minded  people  among  them,  and  surely  it  must  be  the  interest  of  a  great 
and  powerful  empire  like  our  own,  to  efface  all  offensive  expressions,  giving  an  infa* 
my  skin  deep  only  to  a  high-minded  and  well-educated  and  numerous  class  of  its 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  39 

female  mediciner  stopped  the  vomiting  at  intervals.  Dr.  Cooper,  sent 
by  Mr.  Bruce,  arrived  next  morning ;  he  gave  me  warm  water  with 
salt,  and  twice,  forty  grains  of  calomel ;  this  stopped  the  vomiting  for 
two  hours.  He  asked  me  whether  I  would  submit  to  his  putting  a  hot 
iron  on  my  stomach.  I  said,  "  Yes."  He  branded  me  three  times, 
and,  God  be  praised,  it  stopped  the  cholera  morbus  entirely.  Four 
days  I  remained  there ;  on  the  fifth  I  was  carried  to  Nellore,  where  I 
remained  twenty  days  in  a  critical  state  from  bilious  fever.  After 
this  I  attempted  to  proceed  in  a  palanquin  to  Madras,  but  at  forty 
miles  from  Nellore  I  was  attacked  with  a  violent  spasm,  which  obliged 
my  bearers  to  carry  me  on  their  shoulders  to  a  native  Bungalow. 
Here  Mr.  Prendergast,  the  sub-collector,  found  me,  and  dear  Dr. 
Cooper  came  a  second  time  to  assist  me.  After  four  days  I  reached 
Madras,  I  recovered  sufficiently  to  lecture  there  at  St.  Thomas  on 
the  Mount,  a  spot  where  it  is  believed  that  St.  Thomas  the  Apostle 
suffered  martyrdom  :  so  says  Eastern  tradition  and  many  Fathers  of 
the  Church.  I  saw  here  Dr.  Rotler,  the  fellow-labourer  of  Schwartz. 
He  was  eighty-five  years  of  age. 

I  left  Madras  August  31st,  1833,  and,  after  various  movements,  ar- 
rived at  Trichinopoly.  Here  I  found  a  hundred  and  fifty  native  Chris- 
tians, observing  caste,  but  relinquishing  it  at  the  Lord's  table.  And 
here  I  received  an  invitation  from  the  most  famous  missionary  of  the 
East,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rhenius,  of  Palamcottah ;  more  enterprising,  bold, 
and  talented,  than  Schwartz  himself.  The  number  of  Hindoos  to 
whose  conversion  he  has  been  instrumental,  amounts  to  twelve  thou- 
sand, I  cannot  express  the  satisfaction  I  felt  at  the  immense  progress 
he  was  daily  making  under  my  own  eyes  among  the  Hindus.  I  lec- 
tured to  them ;  Rhenius  and  Shaffter,  his  fellow-labourer,  interpreted, 
for  I  did  not  understand  Malabar,  and  they  could  not  understand  Per- 
sian. 

I  must  reluctantly  pass  much,  and  go  on  to  Cochin,  which  I  was 
anxious  to  reach  from  its  well  known  Jewish  population.  I  found 
there  black  and  white  Jews  celebrating  the  feast  of  Tabernacles. 
Those  that  are  called  black  Jews  are  people  who  became  Jews  of  their 
own. accord  at  Cranganore,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  country  of  black 
and  half  black  colour.  For  this  reason,  the  white  Jews  do  not  inter- 
marry with  them.  They  have  neither  priests,  nor  Levites,  nor  fami- 
lies, nor  relations  on  foreign  coasts.  They  are  only  found  in  the  Mal- 
abar coast.  They  observe  the  law  as  white  Jews  do.  They  are  most 

subjects.  The  governor-general  now  receives  all  distinctions  of  colour  at  his  table. 
The  Merchant-Princes  of  Prophecy  ought,  undoubtedly,  to  efface  all  such  odious 
appellations. 


40  NARRATIVE   OF   THE    MISSION 

numerous  at  Cochin.  Many  of  the  black  Jews,  however,  assert  that 
their  ancestors  became  Jews  when  Haman  fell,  and  affirm  (though  the 
white  Jews  deny  it)  that  they  were  there  when  the  white  Jews  came 
to  Hindustan.  They  consider  themselves  as  slaves  to  the  white  Jews, 
pay  them  yearly  tribute  and  a  small  sum  for  the  circumcision  of  their 
children,  and  for  permission  to  wear  frontlets  in  prayer  time.  They 
do  not  sit  down  with  the  white  Jews,  nor  eat  with  them.  In  this  they 
resemble  the  Americans  in  the  United  States,  who  do  not  eat  with  the 
negro  population.  The  immorality  of  the  white  Jews  of  this  place 
was  frightful.  I  met  among  them  a  Polish  Jew,  a  man  of  extraordi- 
nary talents,  possessing  almost  more  than  the  immense  facility  of  his 
countrymen  in  general  in  the  acquirement  of  language.  He  knew 
eighteen  languages. 

I  pass  intermediate  spots,  and  come  to  Goa,  the  scene  of  the  labours 
of  thfe  great  Francis  Xavier.  Here  around  in  all  directions  with  over- 
flowing eyes  I  saw  the  cross  of  Christ,  Christian  churches,  and  the 
idols  of  Hindustaun  displaced.  The  Augustinian  Convent  here  is  a 
highly  valuable  institution.  They  spoke  nobly  of  Buchanan  and  his 
undaunted  behaviour  before  the  Inquisition.  They  condemned  it,  and 
agreed  with  me  that  our  government  did  right  to  suggest  its  abolition 
in  1810.  All  their  books  came  from  Lisbon.  There  had  been  Jews 
at  Goa,  they  told  me,  until  they  were  exiled  by  the  Inquisition.  The 
Portuguese  viceroy  of  Goa,  D.  Manuel  de  Portugal  Castro,  corres- 
ponded with  me  on  various  matters,  and  expressed  his  high  satisfaction 
at  my  labours ;  he  was  a  nephew  to  Don  Pedro  :  as  did  also  the  gov- 
ernment secretary  Nunez.  The  Jesuits  were  suspected  of  having  re- 
moved the  body  of  Francis  Xavier,  which  was  carried  there  from 
China,  (for  he  died  in  China,)  at  the  time  of  their  departure  ;  but  it 
was  not  so,  since,  on  the  inspection  of  the  tomb,  the  body  of  that  ap- 
proved servant  of  God  was  still  found  within  it. 

I  pass  intermediate  spots,  and  come  to  Poonah,  where  I  arrived  on 
November  21st.  I  went  with  the  learned  missionary  of  the  Scotch 
Missionary  Society,  Mr.  Stevenson,  among  the  Beni  Israel,  children 
of  Israel,  living  at  Poonah.  They  are  totally  distinct  from  the  rest 
of  the  Jews  in  Europe  and  Hindustaun.  Soon  after  the  destruction 
of  the  first  Temple,  they  came  in  seven  ships,  they  say,  from  Arabia 
to  Hindustaun,  where  they  have  since  forgotten  their  law,  but  con- 
tinue  to  repeat  in  Hebrew  certain  prayers  which  they  have  learnt 
from  the  other  Jews  ;  they  also  read  the  Pentateuch,  but  without  un- 
derstanding the  language.  They  have  synagogues,  but  they  have  not, 
like  the  rest  of  the  Jews,  the  Sepher  Torah,  or,  in  other  words,  the 
Pentateuch  written  on  parchment.  They  say,  "  As  we  are  soldiers, 


OF   DR.   WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  41 

and  do  not  keep  the  law,  the  Sepher  Torah  may  do  us  harm  if  it  stands 
in  the  midst  of  us."  They  serve  as  soldiers  in  our  armies,  and  are 
esteemed  the  best  native  soldiers.  They  are  far  superior  in  morality 
to  the  Jews  of  Cochin.  They  have,  however,  in  their  houses,  HindQ 
idols,  and  seem  to  trust  in  charms  and  amulets.  This  is  a  curious 
and  literal  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  in  Deuteronomy  xxviii.  36, 
"  And  there  shalt  thou  serve  other  Gods,  wood  and  stone."  I  ques- 
tioned them  about  Jesus ;  they  repeated  the  current  Jewish  objections, 
but  did  not  possess  any  original  views.  The  Beni  Israel  amount 
around  Bombay  to  nine  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  souls. 

I  reached  Bombay  on  November  20th,  and  was  received  very  kindly 
by  Lord  Clare,  Archdeacon  Carr,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Wilson,  Mr.  James 
Parish,  and  others.  I  preached  here  to  many,  and  especially  to  the 
Beni  Israel.  I  went  one  day  while  here  with  that  champion  of  our 
faith  against  Muhammedans,  Parsees,  and  Hindus,  the  Rev.  John 
Wilson,  D.  D.,  who  may  be  called  the  missionary  to  the  Hindu  phi- 
losophers, to  see  a  Fakeer  celebrated  for  his  austerities.  The  nails 
of  his  hand  were  grown  into  and  through  his  cheek.  He  was  lying 
in  the  sun.  I  asked  him,  "  How  can  one  obtain  the  knowledge  of 
God  ?"  His  answer  was,  "  Do  not  ask  me  questions  ;  you  may  look 
at  me,  for  I  am  a  God."  I  have  no  doubt  he  thought  that  he  had  at- 
tained, like  Roman  saints,  to  limits  beyond  mortality  ;  but  how  sad 
was  the  fact,  that  the  penance  that  he  thought  had  thus  elevated  him, 
had  in  reality  proportionately  depressed,  since  the  Supreme  measures 
man  by  his  practical  might,  founded  on  Gospel  truth,  and  not  by  his 
theoretical  visions, -based  upon  nothing. 

At  Bombay  I  called  with  Dr.  Wilson  on  Daood  Captan,  a  captain 
in  the  Bombay  native  army,  a  person  of  immense  obesity.  He  was 
of  the  Beni  Israel.  He  was  very  much  prejudiced  against  me,  and 
believed  me  to  be  a  magician,  and  capable  of  making  proselytes  to 
Christianity  by  forbidden  arts.  He,  with  the  rest  of  his  people,  be- 
lieved that  I  had  raised  the  dead  from  their  graves.  On  my  calling 
on  him  he  was  shaking  his  fat  sides  from  sheer  alarm.  On  my  an- 
nouncing myself  as  Joseph  Wolff,  and  requesting  him  to  show  me  the 
synagogue,  he  rudely  said,  "  No,  I  shall  not  show  it  you,  for  you  are 
a  magician."  I  then  muttered  something  mysteriously  to  myself,  and 
motioning  with  my  finger,  I  said  to  him,  "  Daood  Captan,  you  are  too 
fat."  He  grew  alarmed,  and,  fearing  the  fascination  of  the  Evil  Eye, 
said,  "  Sir,  sir,  let  my  fatness  alone."  I  then  said,  "  Show  me  your 
synagogue."  He  complied  immediately. 

Hence  I  passed  to  Mocha.     The  high  priest  at  Sanaa  has  the  title 
of  Ab-Beth-Din — Father  of  the  Court  of  Law.     Sixty  years  ago  there 

6 


42  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

was  a  curious  disputation  among  the  Jews  of  Sanaa.  They  thought 
that  they  could  ascertain  their  genealogy,  and  that  they  were  in  pos- 
session of  ancient  documents  to  prove  this,  and  a  dispute  arose  among 
them  who  was  to  be  greatest.  They  listened,  however,  to  the  wise 
counsel  of  Shalom  Ben-Ahron,  their  Nassi,  and  Rabbi  Yahyah  Salekh, 
their  Ab-Beth-Din,  to  destroy  their  genealogies.  The  whole  congre- 
gation of  Sanaa  rose  as  one  man,  burnt  their  genealogies,  and  ex- 
claimed, "  Peace,  peace  for  ever  in  Israel." 

I  pass  my  adventures  at  Loheyah,  Massowah,  and  Jiddah,  where  I 
met  with  the  raving  St.  Simonians.  As  a  proof  of  the  accuracy  of 
their  theology,  I  need  only  add,  that  I  saw  a  tract  written  by  a  St. 
Simonian  to  the  Jewish  ladies,  in  which  he  addressed  them  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  :  t(  Read  the  prophecies  of  Solomon,"  (who  never  wrote 
prophecies,)  "  and  your  book  of  the  Prophet  Baruch  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue"  (which  does  not  exist  in  Hebrew.)  In  Jiddah  it  is  said  the 
mother  of  mankind  lies  buried  :  outside  the  gate  of  Jiddah  they  show 
the  tomb  of  Eve.  Jiddah  is  an  Arabic  word,  and  means  grandmother, 
namely,  Eve.  Jiddah  contains  sixty  thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  the 
great  passage  town  to  Mecca,  and  seventy-two  thousand  pilgrims  go 
thither  annually :  if  the  number  be  less,  the  angels  fill  up  the  vacan- 
cies, according  to  Muhammedan  tradition.  Every  pilgrim  casts  seven 
little  stones  at  the  devil,  and  sixteen  against  the  devil's  two  children. 
The  reason  of  this  hard  usage  of  the  children  is  not  very  apparent. 

From  Jiddah  I  embarked  for  Suez,  after  I  had  visited  Cairo,  and 
went  thence  to  Alexandria.  I  arrived  from  thence  at  Malta,  on  March 
the  20th,  1834.  There  I  remained  the  greater  part-  of  1834  and  1835, 
preparing  my  travels  from  1831  to  1834  for  publication. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  43 


CHAPTER  II. 

Embarks  from  Malta  for  England,  March,  1835.  Leaves  England  for  another  Mis- 
sion, October,  1835.  Proceeds  to  Malta;  Alexandria;  Rosetta;  Cairo.  From 
Cairo  to  Mount  Sinai.  Monastry  of  St.  Catherine  ;  Trappist  M.  J.  de  Geramb. 
March  29,  1836,  at  Tor;  thence  to  Suez.  Embarks  for  Jiddah.  Proceeds  to 
Mosawah  on  the  African  coast.  Adventures  in  Abyssinia ;  Languages,  Chronol- 
ogy, and  Religion  of  that  Country.  Zaasega  ;  Tigre  ;  Axum ;  Gondar ;  Mount 
Senafe;  Mount  Halay.  Return  to  Jiddah.  Jeisaun;  Beduins.  Beni  Hobab. 
Shereef  Aboo  Mesameer ;  his  Cruelty.  Loheya.  Ibrahim  Pasha.  Saneef. 
Proceeds  to  Sanaa.  Meets  with  the  Rechabites  ;  their  kind  treatment  of  him. 
Saves  the  Caravan  from  being  pillaged.  Jews  of  Yemen.  Sanaa.  Beaten  by 
the  Wahabites.  Reaches  Mocha.  Attacked  with  Typhus  Fever.  Embarks  for 
Bombay ;  proceeds  thence  to  the  United  States  of  North  America.  New  York ; 
enters  the  Anglo-Catholic  Church ;  ordained  Deacon  by  Bishop  Doane.  Indians 
not  proved  to  be  Descendants  of  the  lost  Ten  Tribes.  Leaves  New  York,  January 
2nd,  1838.  Arrives  in  England ;  receives  Priest's  Orders  of  the  Lord  Bishop  of 
Dromore  ;  takes  the  Incumbency  of  Linthwaite,  Yorkshire. 

IN  March,  1835,  I  embarked  for  England  in  the  Firefly,  where  I 
staid  till  October  ;  but  returned  to  Malta  by  the  19th  for  another  mis- 
sionary tour.  The  first  place  that  I  arrived  at  was  Alexandria. 
There  I  met,  among  numerous  other  individuals,  my  old  friend,  the 
celebrated  Boghos  Youssuf  Bey,  the  Armenian,  the  prime  minister  to 
Muhammed  AH.  Mr.  Salt  saved  him  in  the  very  nick  of  time,  for 
Muhammed  AH  had  bagged  him,  he  was  already  in  the  sack  with 
safe  orders  for  a  sufficient  allowance  of  Nile  water  for  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  when  the  order  was  countermanded,  and  by  the  wonderful 
vicissitudes  of  Oriental  fortunes,  he  became  the  prime  favourite  of  the 
Pasha. 

I  passed  thence,  via  Rosetta,  to  Cairo,  where  I  took  into  my  service 
an  ^Armenian  from  Tiflis,  a  most  consummate  rascal,  Bethlehem  by 
name,  who  had  been  in  the  service  of  Oubia,  the  chief  of  Simean  and 
Tigre  in  Abyssinia.  Of  this  worthy,  Oubia,  the-  interesting  work  of 
Major  Harris  on  Shoa  gives  a  good  account.  This  fellow  Bethlehem 
promised  to  carry  me  through  Abyssinia  on  his  head.  He  had  been 
sent  by  Oubia  to  procure  an  Aboona  from  the  Kopts.  But  the  Kopts 
would  not  send  one  without  the  usual  fee  of  six  thousand  dollars.  By 
the  way,  Monsieur  Fresnel,  a  gentleman  of  high  Oriental  acquire- 
ments, whom  I  met  there,  had  married  an  interesting  girl,  that  I  learnt, 


44  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

to  my  astonishment,  was  once  of  the  Galla  tribe.  The  chief  rabbi  of 
Cairo  came  this  time  to  see  me.  He  told  me,  at  the  beginning  of  his 
address,  that  my  having  been  ten  times  in  Egypt  with  the  same  leading 
object, — proving  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah, — had  certainly  produced  an 
effect  upon  them,  for  it  looked  both  like  pertinacity  and  sincerity. 
They  received  the  exposition  of  my  views  most  kindly,  but  the  rabbi 
said  at  the  last,  that  his  nation  would  only  be  convinced  by  the  actual 
presence  of  Jesus  in  glory. 

I  left  Cairo  on  the  10th  of  March,  and  on  the  16th,  set  out  for  Mount 
Sinai  for  the  second  time.  On  the  18th,  I  reached  Khorandal.  The 
Beduins  received  me  most  cordially.  Sheikh  Hassan  introduced  his 
wife  to  me,  that  I  might  bless  her,  for  she  was  barren.  He  told  me 
he  had  married  four  wives,  and  divorced  three  for  this  cause,  but  this 
one  he  sincerely  loved.  She,  however,  often  threatens  him  that  she 
will  tear  out  his  beard  if  he  takes  another  wife.  I  next  visited  the 
convent  on  Mount  Horeb,  the  monastery  of  Saint  Catherine.  They 
all  received  me  well.  This  time  I  noted  in  the  Book  of  Strangers, 
the  following  lines,  written  by  the  celebrated  Trappist  Geramb :  "I 
arrived  here,  Feb.  25th,  1833,  at  the  Convent  of  Mount  Sinai.  On 
the  28th  I  lay  with  my  face  in  the  dust  on  the  holy  mountain.  The 
Eternal,  in  his  mercy,  gave  to  Moses,  the  most  ancient  of  historians, 
the  sublimest  of  philosophers,  and  the  wisest  of  legislators,  this  law, 
the  necessary  foundation  for  our  own.  Quitted,  March  3rd.  Marie 
Joseph  de  Geramb." 

March  29th,  1836,  I  proceeded  thence  to  Tor.  I  must  not  omit  to 
mention  that  I  received  at  Mount  Sinai  the  promised  book  of  Johannes 
Stauros,  a  Jew  from  Bulgaria,  converted  to  Christianity.  I  read  it 
with  great  delight ;  and  I  perceived  that  he,  like  myself,  held  in  a 
personal  reign  of  Christ.  It  i§  also  very  remarkable,  that  the  monks 
who  had  read  the  book  were  quite  prepared  for  my  view  of  the  question, 
and  themselves  entertained  it  after  having  carefully  read  the  book. 
They  remarked  to  me  that  the  third  chapter  of  Habakkuk  was  a 
prophecy  predicting  the  final  coming  of  Christ  in  glory ;  and  they 
read  with  great  enthusiasm  the  words  :  "  God  came  from  Teman,  and 
the  Holy  One  from  Mount  Paran.  Selah.  His  glory  covered  the 
heavens,  and  the  earth  Was  full  of  his  praise.  Before  Him  went  the 
pestilence,  and  burning  coals  went  forth  at  his  feet.  He  stood,  and 
measured  the  earth  :  He  beheld,  and  drove  asunder  the  nations  ;  and 
the  everlasting  mountains  were  scattered,  the  perpetual  hills  did  bow." 
The  superior  struck  the  earth  with  great  animation,  exclaiming,  "  On 
tfr  *e  spot  mighty  events  shall  yet  be  seen." 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  45 

I  cannot  endure  the  manner  in  which  I  hear  travellers  speak  ill  of 
this  Hospice  of  the  desert.  These  monks  are  excellent  people. 

I  reached  Suez  on  April  the  6th,  1836,  to  embark  there  by  the  Hugh 
Lindsay,  expected  from  Bombay  for  Jiddah.  While  there,  Koodsee 
Manoole,  the  British  agent,  at  whose  house  I  resided,  and  several  of 
the  Greek  priests,  had  interviews  with  me.  Some  of  their  strange 
traditions  affected  me  much  ;  one  was,  that  Satan  was  not  convinced 
that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  until  he  had  seen  the  curtains  in  the 
Temple  rent,  the  sun  darkened,  and  the  earth  convulsed.  My  servant, 
Bethlehem,  in  some  discussions  that  took  place  about  the  authority  of 
councils,  made  a  judicious  remark  on  one,  that  for  his  part  he  could  not 
profess  himself  wiser  than  three  hundred  and  eighteen  Fathers  of  the 
Church.  One  can  perceive  by  these  remarks  of  the  Eastern  Chris- 
tians, that  they  have  a  high  respect  for  ancient  councils ;  and  of  this 
we  can  as  little  deprive  them  as  we  could  the  Lutherans  of  their  Augs- 
burg Confession,  the  Church  of  England  of  her  Thirty-nine  Articles, 
and  the  Kirk  of  Scotland  of  the  Westminster  Confession. 

I  embarked  in  the  Hugh  Lindsay  on  the  6th  May.  Singular  to  say, 
Mr.  Hugh  Lindsay  was  my  fellow-passenger  in  the  same  ship  which 
bears  his  father's  name,  in  1834,  when  he  came  from  China.  We 
reached  Jiddah  on  May  llth.  I  found  the  Simonians  infinitely  madder 
than  on  my  last  visit,  advocating  a  community  of  women,  and  that 
ships  ought  to  be  manned  with  women.  One  Saint  Simonian  woman 
married  four  Frenchmen  at  the  same  time ;  and  even  the  Turkish 
governor  was  so  scandalized,  that  he  protested  against  such  abomina- 
tion in  one  of  their  holy  cities.  Here  I  found  a  letter  from  my  inter- 
esting friend  Dr.  Charles  Ovenden.  He  afterwards  proceeded  to  the 
camp  of  Khursheed  Pasha,  fell  ill,  and  on  my  return  from  Abyssinia  I 
called  on  him  in  his  last  illness.  He  exclaimed,  "  God  be  praised,  you 
are  come ;  dear  Mr.  Wolff,  pray  with  me."  I  remained  with  him — 
read  to  him ;  he  expressed  deep  repentance  for  all  his  sins,  gave  me 
the  direction  of  his  father  in  Enniskillen,  and  died.  At  Jiddah  I  met 
the  English  travellers  Messrs.  Bayley  and  Ormsby.  I  considered  Mr. 
Ormsby  an  extremely  sensible  gentleman.  Here  1  found  Hadara,  an 
Abyssinian,  and  profited  by  his  acquaintance  to  learn  Amharic  pre- 
vious to  entering  Abyssinia. 

I  left  Jiddah  for  Mosawah,  on  the  African  coast,  where  I  arrived  on 
the  30th  May,  1836.  Here  they  speak  the  purest  Ethiopic.  The 
governor  of  this  place  told  me  that  there  are  four  great  Sheikhs  in  the 
world,  as  there  are  four  quarters  of  the  world ;  that  every  Sheikh  had 
forty  bodies.  Thirty-nine  bodies  go  for  nothing,  with  which  he  may 
commit  every  crime,  but  with  the  fortieth  he  must  serve  God.  On 


46  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

quitting  Mosawah,  my  servant  Bethlehem  gave  me  to  understand  that 
he  was  an  Abyssinian  gentleman,  and  could  no  longer  act  as  my 
servant,  but  as  my  escort.  No  help  for  this,  so  I  bore  it  patiently. 

The  5th  of  June  we  reached  Eylet,  and  thence  proceeded  to  a  place 
inhabited  by  the  Shiho.  Our  guide  was  the  nephew  of  the  chief  who 
governs  the  Arabs  at  Mosawah,  called  Nayel  (Lieutenant.)  Here 
Hadara  fired  at  a  wolf  which  charged  us,  and  he  sheered  off.  Ele- 
phants wander  about  here  in  great  numbers.  Tigers,  also,  are  not 
uncommon.  We  ascended  the  mountains  of.  Hamazien  on  the  7th, 
and  reached  Asmara  on  the  9th.  The  customs  of  the  Abyssinians 
are  peculiar.  Their  churches  resemble  synagogues.  They  are  all 
round  buildings.  In  the  first  and  outer  apartment,  the  congregation 
sit  and  pray.  There  is  another  smaller  division  answering  to  the 
Holy  of  Holies,  where  the  priest  enters.  They  kiss  the  door-posts  on 
entering  the  church,  put  off  their  shoes,  and  pray  silently.  The 
priests  are  dressed  in  white,  like  the  ancient  Levites.  When  the 
Abyssinian  women  grind  meal,  they  make  bare  the  leg  and  the  thigh, 
and  have  their  children  on  their  backs.  Every  Abyssinian  has  but 
one  legal  wife  granted  to  him  by  the  church  ;  other  women  are  con- 
cubines ;  nor  is  divorce  allowed.  They  baptize  by  immersion,  and 
circumcise  on  the  eighth  day. 

The  10th  of  June  I  arrived  at  Zaasega,  where  I  met  Hyloo,  the 
chief  of  the  province  of  Hamazien,  a  young  man  of  thirty.  His 
complexion  was  a  brilliant  black,  and  a  most  good-natured  smile 
played  over  his  whole  countenance. 

Seven  languages  are  spoken  in  Abyssinia.  The  Aboona  is  the 
chief  spiritual  authority.  He  is  always  a  Copt,  and  sent  by  the  Cop- 
tic patriarch  of  Alexandria.  He  ordans  priests  and  deacons,  and  lives 
at  Gondar ;  receives  tithes  from  all  property,  and  his  income  is  about 
30,000  dollars.  To  my  utter  astonishment,  one  day  while  I  was  con- 
versing with  Hyloo  and  the  priests  and  the  people  about  religion,  they 
all  shouted  out,  "  He  is  our  Aboon  in  disguise.51  They  fell  down  at 
my  feet,  kissed  them,  and  implored  my  blessing,  and  desired  me  to 
spit  at  and  upon  them.  I  was  compelled  to  perform  such  an  extraor- 
dinary sputation,  that  my  throat  was  completely  dry.  They  com- 
pelled me  to  submit  to  have  my  feet  washed,  and  for  them  to  drink 
the  water  of  ablution.  Protestations  were  useless;  but  as  it  is  a 
crime  for  an  Aboona  to  smoke,  I  ordered  my  pipe  and  smoked,  but 
even  this  would  not  convince  them ;  they  said  it  was  a  feint  to  deceive 
them.  Hundreds  of  cows  were  brought  to  me  as  a  present,  and  corn, 
milk,  &c. ;  and  so  matters  went  on  until  we  reached  Adwah.  The 
people  actually  carried  me  on  their  shoulders. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  47 

The  Abyssinians  reckon  from  the  creation  of  the  world  till  now, 
1845  A.  D.,  7335  years.  And  the  present  year  would  stand  in  their 
reckoning  1837  A.  D.  The  belief  with  regard  to  a  future  state  in 
the  Abyssinian  church  is,  that  after  death  there  is  a  separate  state  of 
souls — the  good  in  Paradise,  the  evil  in  Sheol.  After  the  coming  of 
the  Lord,  the  righteous,  they  say,  will  be  gathered  to  Him,  the  evil  to 
Hinnom.  Adam  and  Eve  were  driven,  they  say,  to  a  land  called 
Feyt.  Enoch  and  Elijah  are  now  hid  in  Paradise,  and  both  shall  ap- 
pear at  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  I  inquired  of  their  priest,  who  had 
called  on  me,  the  Gebra  Maskal,  how  men  would  be  saved.  He  re- 
plied, that  one  must  first  be  baptized,  and  take  the  sacrament  at  a  cer- 
tain age,  use  confession  to  a  priest,  give  alms  to  the  poor,  and  leave 
off  all  evil. 

On  June  18th  I  left  Zaasega,  with  three  persons,  Mueller  (an  ex- 
cellent  Swiss),  Hadara,  and  Bethlehem.  Hyloo  gave  orders  for  a 
hundred  sheep  to  be  killed  for  us  in  passing  through  his  country,  but 
we  received  only  two.  At  Zaffa,  which  we  reached  on  the  19th,  a 
fertile  country,  thickly  inhabited,  we  heard  the  people  praying  in  the 
Bthiopic  tongue,  using  a  corrupt  Liturgy,  full  of  invocations  of  Mary, 
angels,  and  saints.  My  white  appearance  shocked  excessively  the 
Abyssinian  ladies  ;  they  called  out  when  they  saw  me,  "  Woe  unto 
us,  woe  unto  us,  that  this  Copt  has  appeared  among  us,  white  as  the 
devil  himself."  The  priests,  however,  saluted  me  as  Aboon,  and  im- 
plored my  blessing.  I  replied  that  I  was  no  Aboon.  They  exclaimed, 
"  Whatever  you  are,  bless  us."  I  did  so.  Through  Kooda.Falassee 
and  Kudus  Michael  Onamtay  I  was  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
people.  The  singular  notion  that  the  Abyssinians  know  how  to 
change  themselves  into  hyaenas,  I  found  very  prevalent.  The  war- 
rior chief,  one  of  the  finest  looking  men  in  Abyssinia,  Ghebra  Am- 
lak,  the  length  of  whose  hair  reminded  me  of  Absalom,  came  to  me 
at  midnight,  and,  with  tears,  implored  my  blessing.  I  said,  "  I  am 
not  your  Aboon."  He  replied,  "  I  know  it,  father ;  but  bless  me,  for 
you  are  a  servant  of  Christ."  He  and  his  soldiers  carried  me  the 
next  day  over  rocks  and  mountains  for  an  immense  distance  on  their 
shoulders.  On  July  23rd  I  saw  the  convent,  Kudus  Gabriel.  The 
monks  of  Abyssinia  have  carefully  ket  up  the  memory  of  their  great 
queen,  the  Queen  of  Sheba,  and  Menelik,  her  son  by  Solomon,  from 
whom  the  royal  houses  of  Shoa  and  Gondar  trace  their  descent. 

June  24, 1836.  We  arrived  at  a  plain  called  Marab,  and  at  a  vil- 
lage called  Behesa  we  found  Oubia  had  been  devastating  the  coun- 
try. Wald  Raphael,  the  chief  of  this  village,  supplied  us  with  a 
goat.  I  demanded  of  him  and  his  people,  how  they  punished  crimes. 


48  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

They  replied  by  hanging,  crucifying,  and  stoning,  by  the  infliction 
of  forty  stripes  save  one,  and  the  bodies  of  criminals  were  given  to 
the  beasts  of  prey.  I  gave  Wald  Raphael  three  Amharic  Testaments 
and  a  Psalter.  The  great  saint  of  Abyssinia,  Tekla  Haymanot,  made 
such  an  impression  on  the  devil  by  his  preaching,  that  he  actually 
became  a  monk  forty  years.  "  Cucullus  non  facit  monachum,"  is  cer- 
tainly true  in  this  instance.  Tekla  Haymanot  stood  forty  years  upon 
one  place,  praying  until  he  broke  his  leg.  Twenty-four  elders,  more 
modern  traditions  say,  surround  the  throne  of  God  with  censers  in 
their  hands,  and  Tekla  Haymanot  is  the  twenty-fifth.  He  had  six 
wings  like  angels. 

25th  June  we  arrived  at  a  beautiful  village  called  Shahagee,  where 
my  servant  Bethlehem  told  me  that  unless  I  disbursed  two  thousand 
dollars  he  would  get  me  murdered.  I  instantly  dismissed  him. 

I  arrived  at  Adwah,  the  capital  of  Tigre,  June  26th,  1836,  where 
I  met  Gobat,  the  missionary.  With  him  I  determined  to  return  to 
Jiddah,  for  he  was  very  ill.  July  26th,  I  took  a  dozen  of  Psalms  and 
Testaments,  and  went  with  them  to  a  convent,  Abba  Kareema,  five 
miles  east  of  Adwah.  Here  resided  one  hundred  monks,  with  their 
superior.  I  observed  the  Scriptural  usage  here  of  pouring  water  over 
the  hands.  The  younger  priest  in  a  cottage,  (for  the  monks  dwell  in 
cottages  two  by  two,)  poured  water  over  the  hands  of  the  elder,  as 
Elisha  did  over  Elijah.  August  5th,  I  visited  Axum,  the  holy  city  of 
the  Abyssinians,  which  even  the  Galla  chief  that  had  invaded  the  coun- 
try dared  not  enter,  but  dismounted  from  his  steed  and  fell  on  his  face 
at  the  sight  of  it.  It  is  the  city  of  refuge  for  all  criminals.  Rupell 
has  given  an  excellent  account  of  this  place. 

The  utility  of  convents  in  the  middle  ages  is  abundantly  apparent, 
since  even  the  Vandals  who  invaded  Europe  never  approached  those 
sacred  places  from  a  reverence  for  their  sanctity.  Thus  did  the 
monks  transmit  to  us  by  their  own  immunity  from  surrounding  evil, 
the  sacred  oracles.  Much  effusion  of  blood  is  daily  prevented  by  the 
monks  in  Abyssinia,  as  it  was  by  the  Christian  monks  in  the  middle 
age,  and  is  also  by  the  derveeshes  of  the  Muhammedans.  The  influ- 
ence of  the  Monastic  character  is  very  remarkable  over  these  periods. 
When  the  Swiss,  in  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Sigismond,  were  at  vari- 
ance, neither  the  Bishop  of  Constance  nor  the  ambassadors  of  the  Em- 
peror were  able  to  re-establish  peace.  The  diet  was  already  on  the 
point  of  dissolving,  and  the  cantons  rushing  to  civil  war,  when  sud- 
denly the  Hermit  Nicholas  Von  der  Flue,  who  passed  by  the  name  of 
Brother  Klaus,  commanded  peace  in  the  name  of  Christ  crucified,  and 
was  instantly  obeyed.  No  traveller  could  wander  in  Turkistaun,  if 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  49 

the  Khaleefa  of  Mowr  would  not  take  the  defenceless  pilgrim  under 
his  protection.  What  could  the  great  Athanasius  have  done  when 
flying  from  the  fury  of  the  Arians,  if  he  had  not  found  an  asylum  in 
the  Thebais  among  the  pious  hermits  who  live  there  under  the  direc- 
tions of  St.  Anthony,  who  made  the  deserts  resound  with  doxologies 
to  the  Son  of  God  ? 

The  church  is  magnificent.  Fifty  priests  and  two  hundred  monks 
reside  around  it.  I  circulated  here  gratis  many  copies  of  the  Psalms 
of  David  and  the  New  Testament.  Pilgrims  came  to  Axum  from 
Shoa,  Gojam,  and  all  parts  of  Abyssinia.  Columns  of  immense  size 
are  standing  at  Axum,  and  on  my  demanding  who  built  them,  they 
answered,  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth.  Of  the  kingdoms  of  Abyssinia, 
Shoa  is  the  best  regulated  ;  the  report  that  reached  me  of  our  new 
ally,  Sahela  Selassee,  was,  that  he  possessed  great  political  talents,  and 
was  beloved  by  his  subjects.  His  country  was  surrounded  by  the 
Gallas,  with  whom  he  preserved  friendly  relations,  and  thereby  pre- 
vented the  invasion  of  his  country  by  the  Amhara  people.  Gondar  is 
the  capital  of  this  latter  kingdom.  Here  also  exists  a  descendant  of 
the  house  of  Solomon,  but  in  great  poverty,  for  his  knights  have  di- 
vided the  country  among  them.  Ras  Ali,  a  Galla  chief,  plunders 
Gondar  at  his  pleasure. 

Quitting  Adwah  on  the  1st  September,  with  Gobat  and  his  family, 
and  Andreas  Mueller  and  Hadara,  I  proceeded  to  Mount  Senafe,  which 
I  reached  on  the  10th.  The  Abyssinians  were  then  celebrating  their 
new  year's  day,  called  Kuddees  Yohanna  (Holy  John),  in  commemo- 
ration of  John  the  Baptist.  Women,  men,  children,  and  beasts,  are 
baptized  on  that  day.  12th  September,  I  reached  Halay,  the  highest 
mountain  in  Abyssinia,  twelve  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea. 

October  2nd,  I  arrived  at  Jiddah.  Gobat  embarked  for  Kosseyr, 
whilst  I  remained  behind,  as  my  services  were  no  longer  required  to 
protect  him.  Here  I  determined  to  set  out  to  see  the  Rechabites 
around  Sanaa,  previous  to  my  return  to  Abyssinia.  Passing  Lyt  for 
the  second  time,  where  leaving  a  Bible  on  the  tomb  of  a  buried  saint, 
created  such  terror  through  the  whole  country,  that  the  book  was  sent 
to  Mecca,  I  came,  October  14th,  to  Confoodah,  where  I  had  a  most  in- 
teresting conversation  with  the  soldiers  of  the  Pasha's  army,  and  Ah- 
med, an  officer  in  that  body,  formerly  a  derveesh.  When  Ahmed  de- 
manded of  me  whether  Saheb  Zemaan  (the  Lord  of  the  Age)  must  not 
arrive  before  Jesus  at  his  second  coming  ?  I  replied,  "  Elijah  the  Pro- 
phet shall  first  come ;"  and  should  have  continued  the  disputation, 

7 


50  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

which  had  already  extended  to  some  length,  but  for  the  drum  beating 
to  muster.  This  coming  of  Elijah  is  denied  by  the  greater  part  of  the 
Protestants.  I  refer  for  confirmation  of  my  opinions  to  Augustin, 
Treatise,  iv.  1  ;  John  i.  20.  Art  thou  Elias  ?  He  answered,  No.  I 
view  John  as  the  forerunner  of  Christ  in  one  coming,  Elias  in  another. 
John  had  the  same  Holy  Ghost  as  Elias,  therefore  stood  in  the  spirit 
and  power  of  Elias.  But  as  Elias  must  come,  and  as  this  is  expressly 
declared,  it  must  be  at  the  second  coming. 

October  19th  we  arrived  at  Jeisaun,  a  miserable  bay  for  ships,  in- 
habited by  Beduins.  Here  one  of  the  Arab  sheikhs  of  the  tribe  of 
Hobab,  brother-in-law  of  Moses,  called  on  me.  He  knew  Hebrew  ex- 
ceedingly well,  and  even  the  Arabic  dialect  of  the  children  of  Hobab, 
is  mixed  with  Hebrew  phrases  from  the  Book  of  Moses.  They  observe 
outwardly  the  Muhammedan  law,  but  inwardly  are  attached  to  the 
law  of  Moses. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  among  all  nations  where  religion  is  en- 
forced by  the  civil  law,  sects  will  arise  who,  if  I  may  so  express  my- 
self, have  two  religions,  one  outwardly  observed  to  avoid  exclusion 
from  civil  privileges,  and  the  other  the  religion  of  the  heart,  and  which 
they  in  secret  practise.  Thus,  for  instance,  the  very  Beni  Hobab  of 
whom  we  have  spoken,  confirm  this ;  the  Shamseea  (Worshippers  of 
the  Sun),  in  Mesopotamia,  outwardly  profess  Muhammedanism,  and 
in  secret  are  worshippers  of  the  sun.  The  Daouddee,  or  the  believers 
in  the  divinity  of  King  David,  among  the  Bakhtyaree  in  Persia,  the 
Georgians  in  Bokhara,  though  for  centuries  resident  there,  inwardly 
are  Christians,  outwardly  Muhammedans.  Full  sixty  thousand  Jews 
in  Spain  are  outwardly  Roman  Catholics,  but  regularly  meet  in  secret, 
and  exclaim,  "  Hear,  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord  :"  which 
expression  forms  their  pass-word  with  each  other ;  and  I  was  struck 
with  amazement  to  find  even  in  the  United  States  of  North  America, 
that  many  of  the  Indians,  especially  among  the  Cherokees,  have 
adopted  outwardly  the  Protestant  religion,  in  order,  as  they  hope,  to 
prevent  Congress  from  sending  them  further  into  the  interior. 

He  informed  me,  that  near  Sanaa  the  other  branch  of  the  children 
of  Hobab  were  encamped,  i.  e.  the  Beni  Arhab,  children  of  Rechab. 
A  great  number  of  their  tribes  came  down  from  the  mountain  Seir. 
They  related  to  me  the  history  of  Moses,  of  his  wandering  in  the 
deserts  under  the  guidance  of  Hobab,  who  at  last  refused  to  go  fur- 
ther. "  Do  you  know,"  said  they  to  me,  "  Moosa,  the  prophet  of 
God  ?  The  peace  of  God  be  upon  him.  Hobab,  our  father,  was  bis 
brother-in-law." 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  51 

Shereef  Ahmood  Aboo  Mesameer,  of  the  tribe  of  Hobab,  governed 
in  the  mountain  of  the  Aseer,  for  Jeisaun  is  at  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain. He  punished  criminals  by  putting  a  nail  in  their  forehead,  and 
therefore  received  the  name  of  Aboo  Mesameer,  "  the  father  of  nails." 
I  give  one  anecdote  as  characteristic  of  the  man. 

One  of  the  Banians,  or  Indian  merchants,  went  one  day,  by  land, 
from  Hodeydah  to  Aboo  Areesh.  He  was  attacked  by  robbers,  who 
said,  "  Give  up  your  property."  He  replied,  "  I  arn  in  possession  of 
dollars  belonging  to  Ahmood  Aboo  Mesameer."  The  robbers,  fearful 
of  being  literally  nailed,  left  him  untouched. 

I  proceeded  thence  to  Loheya,  and  from  thence  to  Hodeyda,  a  town 
that  contains  thirty  thousand  inhabitants.  Here  were  the  head  quar- 
ters of  Ibrahim  Pasha,  commander-in-chief  of  Muhammed  All's 
troops  in  Yemen :  I  do  not  mean  the  son,  but  the  nephew  of  the  Pasha. 
With  him  I  held  a  very  long  religious  discussion.  Amongst  other 
points  of  our  conversation  he  advised  me  to  direct  my  attention  to  the 
conversion  of  Rothschild. 

I  had  also  here  a  long  conversation  with  Muhammed  Johar,  a  learn- 
ed gentleman,  formerly  governor  of  Hodeydah.  The  Arabs  of  this 
place  have  a  book  called  Seem,  which  treats  of  the  second  coming  of 
Christ,  and  his  reign  in  glory. 

I  must  not  omit  that,  in  a  visit  here  to  Ibrahim  Pasha,  I  missed  my 
way,  and  had  nearly  arrived  at  the  harem  of  the  ladies.  The  Pasha 
laughed,  and  said,  "  I  am  astonished  that  such  an  absent  man  as  your- 
self should  ever  have  found  his  way  to  Bokhara."  Husseyn  Effendi, 
the  present  governor  of  Hodeydah,  is  the  kindest  Turk  1  have  met 
with.  I  translated  to  him  The  Fridolin  and  the  Crows  of  Ibycus,  of 
Schiller. 

The  heat  here  was  intolerable :  how  this  country  got  the  name  of 
Araby  the  Blest,  I  cannot  conceive ;  uncultivated  lands,  parched  up 
with  the  burning  heat,  destitute  of  all  inhabitants,  save  mountaineers, 
are,  in  my  opinion,  most  unblest  regions.  All  over  Yemen  there 
prevails  the  singular  expectation  that  a  mighty  man  of  Arhab,  i.  e. 
Rechab,  will  arise  and  become  the  sword  of  Yemen. 

After  passing  numerous  spots  I  arrived,  on  the  26th  November,  at 
Beit  Alfake,  where  Muhammed  Ali's  officers  had  circulated  the  re- 
port that  his  beard  had  become  black  again, — a  certain  token,  in  their 
notion,  that  he  was  to  live  much  longer. 

After  this  I  came  to  Saneef.  Its  Sheikh  and  inhabitants  are  of  the 
tribe  of  Naasraau,  i.  e.  Christians,  or  Moonasera,  the  Christianized. 
I  requested  to  learn  the  history  of  their  tribe.  They  told  me,  "  A 
disciple  of  Jesus,  Bulus  or  Paul  by  name,  came  to  Yemen  unto  our 


52  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

ancestors,  who  had  been  worshippers  of  idols,  became  Naasraan* 
(Christians),  and  therefore  we  have  retained  the  name,  though  we  ex- 
claim now,  God,  and  nothing  but  God,  and  Muhammed,  the  Prophet 
of  God."  I  demanded,  "  Are  there  any  Christians  in  Yemen  ?" 
The  Sheikh  replied,  "  All  Yemen,  with  the  exception  of  the  Jews  and 
the  children  of  Rechab,  exclaim,  There  is  God,  and  nothing  but  God, 
and  Muhammed,  the  Prophet  of  God."  Paul  says  he  went  to  Arabia, 
in  Galatians  i.  17. 

I  gave  the  Sheikh  a  Bible,  as  he  expressed  a  deep  desire  to  have  one. 
Saneef  is  at  the  foot  of  the  Mountain  of  Borro,  inhabited  by  the  tribe 
of  Aram,  mentioned  in  Genesis  x.  23.  Its  inhabitants  are  Wahabites. 
They  desired  Bibles,  and  I  gave  them  to  them. 

I  left  Saneef  on  November  the  29th,  and  proceeded  on  the  road  to 
Sanaa,  which  I  learnt  was  besieged  by  the  Rechabites.  Of  course 
the  caravan  with  which  I  was  travelling  ran  no  small  risk  on  this  ac- 
count. I  therefore  took  a  mule,  and  went  on  alone  to  Sanaa,  desiring 
the  chief  of  the  caravan  to  wait  until  he  heard  from  me.  As 
soon  as  I  had  passed  Matna,  I  saw  a  swarm  of  the  Rechabites  rush- 
ing to  me,  exclaiming  :  "  Hoo,  hoo,  hoo  !"  Holding  up  my  Bible,  I 
stopped  them  at  once,  and  they  shouted,  "  A  Jew,  a  Jew  !"  We  dis- 
mounted, and,  sitting  down,  I  told  them  that  I  saw,  twelve  years  ago, 
one  of  their  nation  in  Mesopotamia,  Moosa  by  name.  Rechabites. 
« Is  your  name  Joseph  Wolff?"  W.  "  Yes."  They  then  embra- 
ced me.  They  were  still  in  possession  of  the  Bible  I  gave  to  Moosa, 
twelve  years  before  my  arrival  in  Yemen. 

I  spent  six  days  with  the  children  of  Rechab  (Beni  Arhab).  They 
drink  no  wine,  plant  no  vineyard,  sow  no  seed,  live  in  tents,  and  re- 
member the  word  of  Joriadab  the  son  of  Rechab.  With  them  were 
children  of  Israel  of  the  tribe  of  Dan,  who  reside  near  Terim  in  Ha- 
tramawt,  who  expect,  in  common  with  the  children  of  Rechab,  the 
speedy  arrival  of  the  Messiah  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  Neither  par- 
ty now  offers  sacrifice.  They  requested  me  to  remain  among  them 
and  teach  them  the  doctrine  of  the  Messiah,  as  they  call  the  Gospel, 
and  to  marry  one  of  the  daughters  of  Rechab.  The  children  of  Re- 
chab say,  "  We  shall  one  day  fight  the  battles  of  the  Messiah,  and 
march  towards  (Kuds)  Jerusalem."  They  are  the  descendants  of 
those  whom  the  Muhammedans  call  Yehood  Khaibar,  who  defeated  Mu- 
hammed in  several  battles,  but  they  were  at  last  themselves  defeated, 
for  they  had  sinned,  and  the  Lord  of  Toor  (Sinai)  was  not  with  them. 

*  And  besides  this,  many  Arabs  went  to  the  pillar  of  Simon  Stylites,  and  he 
preached  to  them  the  Gospel,  and  thus  it  spread  in  Yemen. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  53 

I  sent  them  to  the  chief  of  the  caravan  to  fetch  about  eighty  Hebrew 
Bibles  and  Testaments,  which  I  gave  them.  One  of  their  party,  Loo. 
loe,  belonging  to  the  powerful  tribe  of  Hamdan,  a  friend  of  the  Beni 
Arhab,  escorted  me  and  the  whole  caravan,  safely  within  the  gate  of 
Sanaa,  where  I  entered  in  the  month  of  December. 

Sanaa  is  called  Uzal,  (Gen.  x.  27,)  and  exhibits  a  magnificent  spec- 
tacle to  the  eye.  It  is  in  a  valley  surrounded  by  four  mountains. 
The  city  has  the  loveliest  of  gardens,  which  furnish  pomegranates, 
grapes,  and  cherries.  The  houses  are  of  stone,  four  stories  high, 
with  terraces  to  walk  on  in  the  cool  of  the  day.  Here  they  show  us 
a  very  ancient  house  in  ruins,  called  Kaser  Saum,  the  college  of  Shem, 
the  son  of  Noah.  The  Imaum  or  prince  resides  in  a  splendid  palace, 
built  in  a  Gothic  style  resembling  a  fortress.  He  has  eight  other  pal- 
aces. Like  the  Deys  of  Tunis,  and  formerly  of  Algiers,  he  seldom 
leaves  his  palace,  and  is  always  afraid  of  a  revolt  of  his  soldiers. 
He  received  me  very  kindly,  made  me  a  present  of  a  shawl,  a  robe  of 
honour,  and  twenty  dollars,  for  effecting  the  entry  of  the  caravan.  I 
regret  to  say  he  is  drunk  from  morning  to  night,  and  the  Jews  of 
Sanaa  furnish  him  with  brandy  and  wine.  He  was  sitting  on  a  di- 
vaun  when  I  entered,  surrounded  by  black  slaves ;  he  is  completely 
black — as  black  as  a  Beduin.  He  is  a  man  of  no  talent  or  energy. 
He  invited  me  to  stay  at  his  palace ;  but  I  declined  his  offer,  and  took 
up  my  abode  with  the  Banians  or  merchants  from  India. 

Here  I  may  as  well  notice  the  Jews  of  Yemen  generally.  While 
at  Sanaa,  Mose  Joseph  Alkaree,  the  chief  rabbi  of  the  Jews,  called  on 
me.  He  is  an  amiable  and  sensible  man.  The  Jews  of  Yemen  ad- 
here uniquely  to  the  ancient  interpretation  of  Scripture,  in  the  pas- 
sage Isaiah  vii.  14,  "  a  virgin  shall  conceive,"  and  they  give  to  the 
na>*  the  same  interpretation,  virgin,  that  the  Christians  do,  without 
knowing  the  history  of  Jesus.  Rabbi  Alkaree  asserted,  that  in 
Isaiah  liii.  the  suffering  of  the  Messiah  is  described  as  anterior  to  his 
reign  in  glory.  He  informed  me  that  the  Jews  of  Yemen  never  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem  after  the  Babylonish  captivity ;  and  that  when 
Ezra  wrote  a  letter  to  the  princes  of  the  captivity  at  Tanaan,  a  day's 
journey  from  Sanaa,  inviting  them  to  return,  they  replied,  "  Daniel 
predicts  the  murder  of  the  Messiah,  and  another  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem and  the  Temple,  and  therefore  we  will  not  go  up  until  He 
shall  have  scattered  the  power  of  the  holy  people,  until  the  thousand 
two  hundred  and  ninety  days  are  over."  I  demanded,  "  Do  you  con- 
sider these  days  to  be  literal  days?"  The  Alkaree  replied,  " No ; 
but  we  do  expect  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  from  the  commotions 
now  going  on  in  Yemen.  We  think  he  begins  to  come  from  Teman, 


54  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

t.  e.  Yemen,  for  you  see  the  tents  of  Cushan  are  now  in  affliction,  and 
the  curtains  of  Midian  tremble.  There  is  now  war  in  the  wilderness, 
unprecedented  in  our  memory.  There  are  twelve  gates  at  Sanaa. 
As  soon  as  one  of  them,  the  Bab  Alastraan,  which  is  always  kept 
closed,  is  opened,  we  expect  Him.  Rechab  and  Hamdan  are  before 
it."  I  then  expounded  Isaiah  liii.,  and  read  him  the  holy  history  of 
Jesus.  He  said,  "  Your  exposition  is  in  better  agreement  with  the  an* 
cient  interpretation  ;  I  approve  it  much  more  than  that  of  our  nation 
which  ascribes  the  passage  to  Josiah."  This  kind  Jew  assisted  me  in 
the  distribution  of  Testaments  among  his  people.  Sanaa  contains  fif- 
teen thousand  Jews.  In  Yemen  they  amount  to  twenty  thousand.  I 
conceive  the  total  population  of  the  Jews  throughout  the  world, 
amounts  to  ten  millions.  I  baptized  here  sixteen  Jews,  and  left  them 
all  New  Testaments. 

A  fever  seized  me  while  at  Sanaa.  I  left  it,  and  slept  the  first 
night  with  Sheikh  AH,  of  Looloe,  of  the  tribe  of  Hamdan.  We 
passed  Matria.  At  Khamees,  a  band  of  the  Wahabites,  whom  I  men- 
tioned  above,  rushed  down  from  the  mountain,  exclaiming,  "  The 
books  you  gave  us  do  not  contain  the  name  of  Muhammed."  W. 
"  You  ought  now,  then,  as  the  name  is  not  in  that  holy  book,  to  come 
to  some  decision."  Wahabites.  "  We  have  come  to  a  decision  ;" 
and  saying  this,  they  horsewhipped  me  tremendously,  and  rode  off, 
saying,  "  This  is  our  decision." 

Joseph  Ben  Alnataf,  a  Jew,  accompanied  me  hence  to  Mocha. 
Numbers  of  soldiers  came  down  from  the  mountains  to  fight  against 
the  troops  of  Muhammed  Ali.  They  demanded  seventy  dollars  of  me. 
W.  "  I  am  an  English  subject."  Soldiers.  "  In  Yemen  we  know 
not  the  name  of  an  Englishman.  In  Yemen  we  know  only  Allah  uaala 
ilia  Allah,  u  Muhammad  Rasool  Allah  (God,  and  nothing  but  God, 
and  Muhammed  the  Prophet  of  God).  For  infidels  we  have  three 
things,  tribute,  death,  and  kalima  (confession  of  faith)."  I  yielded, 
and  gave  my  last  penny. 

I  reached  Mocha,  by  the  mercy  of  God,  towards  the  end  of  Decem- 
ber, and  set  out  again  for  Abyssinia,  but  caught  a  typhus  fever  at 
Hodeydah,  where  its  kind  governor  and  Monsieur  Devaux  for  six 
weeks  tended  me  most  affectionately.  Finding  myself  too  weak  to 
recross  Abyssinia,  I  embarked  in  the  Hugh  Lindsay,  for  Bombay. 

I  then  recovered,  and  determined  to  set  out  thence  to  the  United 
States  of  America.  A  Swedish  vessel,  the  Amalia,  received  me.  We 
stopped  at  St.  Helena,  where  I  lectured  on  the  second  coming  of  Christ 
The  kindness  of  Major- General  Middlemore  and  all  his  family,  and 
Colonel  Trelawny,  I  shall  ever  gratefully  remember.  I  arrived  in 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  55 

New  York  in  the  month  of  August,  1837.  Here  I  found  myself  sur- 
rounded with  a  phalanx  of  friends  of  all  religious  denominations.  1 
lectured  in  the  Tabernacle  on  the  personal  reign  of  Christ,  and  the 
restoration  of  the  Jews.  I  was  here  introduced  to  Bishop  Doane,  and 
arrangements  were  speedily  made  for  my  reception  into  the  episcopal 
church.  Doctors  Henderson  and  Chapman  examined  me  in  ecclesi- 
astical history,  the  Articles  of  the  Church,  Hebrew,  and  Greek,  as 
well  as  natural  theology  and  philosophy.  By  this  worthy  Bishop  of 
New  Jersey  I  was  ordained  deacon,  and  then  preached  at  Philadelphia, 
Washington,  and  Baltimore  repeatedly.  On  the  motion  of  John 
Quincy  Adams,  I  received  permission  to  give  a  lecture  in  the  Congress 
Hall,  in  presence  of  all  the  members  of  Congress  of  both  houses,  the 
Bishop  of  Virginia,'  and  the  clergy  and  citizens  of  Washington.  I 
had  the  same  honour  conferred  on  me  by  the  government  of  New 
Jersey  and  Pennsylvania. 

It  will  naturally  be  asked  what  I  think  of  that  extraordinary  ques- 
tion lately  so  much  mooted  in  Europe  and  America,  and  so  much 
connected  with  my  own  researches.  "  Whether  the  Indians  spring 
from  the  Ten  Tribes  of  the  Dispersion  ?"  With  respect  to  ancient 
tradition,  the  rule  of  Vincentius  Lirinensis,  though  not  infallible,  is 
one  of  the  best  criteria.  "  What  has  always  been  believed,  by  all, 
and  everywhere."  This  is  not  traceable  in  the  Indians.  They  have 
not  at  all  times,  and  in  all  places,  and  all  conjointly  affirmed,  "  We 
are  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  of  the  Dispersion."  On  the  contrary,  they 
know  nothing  of  any  such  tradition.  I  trace  no  remarkable  affinities 
in  their  language  to  lead  to  such  a  conclusion.  Nor  are  the  rites  among 
them,  quoted  as  analogous  to  the  Jewish,  sufficient  to  justify  this  con- 
clusion. I  am  sure  all  nations  will  be  found  connected  with  the 
Jewish,  as  the  great  centre  of  spiritual  worship,  all  rites  will  be  found 
in  their  uses  and  abuses,  to  maintain  somewhat  of  the  great  princi- 
ples inculcated  in  the  Jewish  law ;  but  I  am  not  prepared,  from  such 
grounds,  the  result  of  a  common  origin  from  the  first  parents,  to  affirm 
them  all  to  be  necessarily  descendants  from  the  lost  tribes,  because,  in 
sooth,  no  other  hypothesis  suits  the  reigning  taste. 

People  who  have  a  preconceived  favourite  system,  try  to  maintain 
it  ad  entrance,  and  think  they  see  it  realized  when  nothing  of  the  kind 
in  reality  exists.  Worthy  people  in  America  desired  me  to  travel 
about  with  them,  in  order  that  I  might  convince  the  Indians  of  their 
extraction  from  the  Jews;  but  this  was  putting  the  argument  the 
wrong  way.  I  wanted  the  Indians  to  convince  me  of  their  origin,  and 
not  to  aid  in  deluding  them  into  this  notion,  as  I  perceived  many  well- 
intentioned  people  did.  I  came  among  the  Mohican  tribes  near  New 


56  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

York,  and  asked  them,  "  Whose  descendants  are  you  ?"  They  re- 
plied, "  We  are  of  Israel.3'  I  asked,  "  Who  told  you  so  ?"  and  ex- 
pected  to  learn  much  ancient  tradition.  To  my  great  surprise,  they 
said,  "  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simons,  of  Scotland."  I  asked,  "  What  did 
your  ancestors  tell  you  about  it?"  "  All  our  ancestors  told  us  that 
we  were  born  under  the  earth,  and  a  woman  among  us  looking  out  of 
the  earth  was  taken  hold  of  by  a  spirit ;  and  that  spirit  led  us  up  to 
the  surface  of  the  earth ;  and  there  we  lived  in  peace  until  the  white 
men  came,  by  whom  we  were  subdued." 

Many  of  their  customs,  besides  words  in  their  language,  and  their 
physiognomy,  rather  seem  to  me  to  betray  a  Tartar  race.  Thus,  for 
instance,  they  have  the  word  Kelaun,  Great,  which  is  also  used  in  the 
same  sense  at  Bokhara.  They  have  nine  as  a  favourite  number,  which 
the  Tartars  also  have.  The  Turkomauns  also  play  on  a  flute  in  a 
melancholy  strain  around  the  tent  of  their  beloved  mistresses,  and  the 
Indians  adopt  a  similar  fashion. 

The  Jews  in  America  are  of  very  recent  origin,  principally  com- 
posed of  emigrants  from  Germany,  Poland,  and  England.  I  regret 
to  say  they  are  mostly  unbelievers  in  their  own  law,  and  marry  with- 
out distinction  among  Quakers,  Anabaptists,  and  other  sects.  There 
are  honourable  exceptions. 

At  New  York  I  received  a  visit  from  Noah  the  Jew,  so  well  known 
for  his  love  to  Israel.  The  emigration  of  Roman  Catholics  from  the 
Austrian  and  German  states  was  by  thousands  at  this  period,  1838. 
The  Leopoldine  Society  of  Austria  sent  out  numerous  missionaries  to 
America,  to  obtain  among  its  sectaries  converts  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith.  If  Romanism  were  successful,  it  would  scarce  be  worse  than 
the  mad  folly  of  some  of  the  sectarians  of  America,  or  the  detestible 
perversions  of  Scripture,  of  which  they  incessantly  avail  themselves. 
There  are  thousands  of  Shakers  in  America ;  and  when  they  are 
asked,  why  do  they  turn  about  in  a  circle,  you  get  as  an  answer, 
"  Does  not  the  Scripture  say,  Turn  ye,  turn  ye,  why  will  ye  die  ? 
Ezekiel  xxxiii.  11."  The  Roman  Catholics,  however,  have  found 
opponents  in  America  among  the  Episcopalian  and  Dutch  communi- 
ties, that  have  more  than  outmatched  them  in  disputations,  confuting 
Romanism  on  truly  Catholic  principles.  Vituperation  does  the  Ro- 
manists good,  and  raises  their  cause ;  but  if  the  controversy  be  con- 
fined to  the  great  question,  On  what  does  a  Church  depend  ?  they  are 
scattered  easily.  A  Church  founded  on  the  authority  of  the  Bible, 
and  a  Church  founded  on  her  own  authority  alone, — the  great  dis- 
tinctions between  Romanists  and  Anglo-Catholics, — need  only  clear 
exposition  to  show  which  has  the  advantage.  It  is  true,  Rome  has  an 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  57 

authority  beyond  what  she  claims,  but  as  it  is  one  which  she  rejects, 
she  is  not  entitled  to  the  benefit  of  it  in  controversy.  This  is  the 
great  question,  the  true  authority  of  the  Church  in  Scripture.  Collat- 
eral points  may  work  into  this,  and  become  important  to  confirm  this ; 
but  this  properly  defined,  as  I  believe  it  to  be  in  the  Articles  of  the 
English  Church,  duly  and  reverentially  obeyed  by  its  laity,  rigorously 
followed  out  by  a  practical  energy,  strong  in  proportion  to  the  strength 
it  inhales  from  its  nearness  to  the  purest  spring, — this  will,  I  believe, 
yet  produce,  and  certainly  has  even  now,  in  part,  produced,  a  state 
of  Christendom  unparalleled  in  earthly  history. 

I  may  say  without  fear  of  any  imputation  of  vanity,  that  I  have  now 
seen  and  made  myself  acquainted  with  all  the  branches  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  with  all  the  sects  existing  on  earth ;  and  I  have  not 
shunned  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  the  bishops  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church, 
in  the  Armenian  Church,  in  the  Greek  Church,  in  the  Chaldean  and 
Abyssinian  Church,  with  Wesley ans,  Independents,  and  learned  Bap- 
tists  ;  and  the  result  of  my  investigations  is,  that  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land is  the  pearl  of  price  and  jewel  of  the  earth,  and  the  mightiest 
masterpiece  of  Bible  illustration  which  the  world  has  witnessed  since 
it  fell  under  the  yoke  of  sin. 

At  New  York,  I  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  kindness  I  received 
also  from  its  distinguished  president,  Mr.  Martin  Van  Buren,  that 
shrewd,  clever,  polished,  and  refined  statesman.  In  his  drawing-room 
I  gave  a  short  lecture  before  several  members  of  the  Congress. 

I  quitted  New  York  on  January  2nd,  1838,  accompanied  to  the 
vessel  in  which  I  embarked  by  numerous  friends,  and  arrived  in  Eng- 
land on  January  28th.  Instantly  on  my  arrival  in  England,  in  the 
Isle  of  Wight,  I  gave  an  account  of  my  missionary  proceedings  for 
eighteen  years  ;  also  at  Southampton  and  London.  Being  introduced 
to  the  Marquis  of  Anglesea,  in  whose  house  I  dined  and  delivered  a 
lecture,  his  Lordship  recommended  me  to  the  Marquis  of  Normanby, 
lord-lieutenant  of  Ireland,  and  to  Archbishop  Whateley.  The  Uni- 
versity of  Dublin  conferred  on  me  the  degree  of  LL.D.  From  Amer- 
ica I  received  the  degree  of  D.D.,  from  the  Protestant  episcopal  col- 
lege of  St.  John's,  Annapolis,  Maryland.  I  then  received  priest's 
orders  in  Ireland,  by  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Dromore,  in  June,  1838. 
Immediately  afterwards  I  was  made  honorary  chaplain  to  Lord  Vis- 
count Lorton,  and  after  eighteen  years'  peregrination  in  the  world, 
tired  out,  and  enfeebled  in  constitution,  I  contemplated  now  seriously 
settling  in  England  as  one  of  the  clergy  of  its  national  Church,  when 
the  Rev.  Hugh  Stowell,  of  Manchester,  was  kind  enough  to  procure 
me  the  situation  of  incumbent  at  Linthwaite,  near  Huddersfield,  York- 

8 


58  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

shire,  where  I  had  the  princely  income  of  twenty- four  pounds  per 
annum,  collected  by  pew  rents,  and  no  augmentation  from  Queen 
Anne's  Bounty.  Previous  to  my  arrival,  the  Pastoral  Aid  Society 
had  given  eighty  pounds  to  my  predecessor ;  but  as  I  did  not  apply 
for  it  previous  to  my  accepting  the  living,  and  as  they  said  Lady 
Georgiana  had  a  sufficient  income,  they  refused  to  give  it  to  me. 

Here  I  cannot  but  note,  that  the  state  of  the  British  Church,  ac- 
cording to  Parliamentary  returns  in  1835,  viz.  of  nearly  five  thousand 
livings,  or  about  one  half  of  the  total  number  of  livings  returned,  viz. 
ten  thousand  four  hundred  and  seventy-eight,  being  under  two  hun- 
dred pounds  per  annum,  was  a  position  of  ecclesiastical  matters  that 
called  loudly  for  the  attention  of  the  Premier,  and  I  am  pleased  to  see 
that  Sir  Robert  Peel  directed  the  powers  of  his  vigorous  intellect  im- 
mediately to  it.  Disparity  of  incomes  in  any  Church,  want  of  promo- 
tion of  deserving  men,  create  a  faintheartedness  in  its  members  that 
must  prove  deleterious  to  the  Church's  great  interests. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Quits  Linthwaite  for  the  Curacy  of  High  Hoyland.  Hears  of  the  Imprisonment  of 
his  Friend  Conolly  at  Bokhara.  Writes  to  his  Family,  offering  to  proceed  thither 
in  1842.  Leaves  High  Hoyland.  Receives  from  his  Congregation  a  Testimonial 
of  Respect.  Puts  a  Letter  in  the  Morning  Herald,  July,  1843,  stating  his  willing- 
ness to  go  to  Bokhara  ;  Captain  Grover  replies  to  it.  Dr.  Wolff  goes  with  his 
Family  to  Bruges.  Correspondence  with  Captain  Grover.  Arrives  in  England. 
Interview  with  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Committee.  Public  Meeting  convened : 
Address  of  Dr.  Wolff;  Speech  of  the  Chairman,  Sir  J.  Bryant,  detailing  former 
Intimacy  between  Dr.  Wolff  and  Lieutenant  Conolly.  Embarks  on  the  Mission, 
October  14,  1843.  Arrival  at  Gibraltar.  Character  of  Bishop  Tomlinson.  Malta. 
Athens.  Interview  with  the  King  and  Queen  of  Greece.  Dardanelles. 


BESIDES  the  smallness  of  income  at  Linthwaite,  from  the  ex] 
situation  of  the  locality,  Lady  Georgiana  as  well  as  myself  were  con- 
stantly attacked  with  quinsey.  I  therefore,  after  a  stay  of  two  years, 
took  the  curacy  of  High  Hoyland,  near  Wakefield,  with  a  salary  from 
the  rector,  who  lived  two  hundred  miles  distant,  a  very  worthy  gen- 
tleman, the  Rev.  Christopher  Bird,  in  1840  ;  and  these  were  assu- 
redly the  happiest  of  my  days.  I  visited  my  poor  people,  and  there 
existed  a  mutual  attachment  between  us.  But  our  expenses  far  ex- 
ceeded our  income  ;  we  became  involved  in  debt  from  the  necessity 
of  the  case ;  and  therefore  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Ripon,  my  worthy  dio- 
cesan, wrote  to  the  Bishop  of  London  to  procure  me  a  foreign  chap- 
laincy. His  Lordship  of  London  promised  to  bear  it  in  mind,  and  I 
left  with  regret  my  parishioners  in  1843.  I  received  a  testimonial 
of  the  respect  entertained  to  me  by  my  congregation,  conveyed  by  a 
piece  of  plate,  and  we  were  about  to  settle  at  Bruges ;  but  previous 
to  my  departure  from  High  Hoyland,  I  offered  myself  to  go  to  Bok- 
hara to  save  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  This  offer  was  made  in  1842. 
I  also  tendered  my  services  to  go  to  Cabul,  to  save  the  prisoners 
there  ;  but  it  did  not  appear  at  that  momejU;  necessary.  I  then  went 
to  reside  at  Richmond  in  Surrey. 

In  July,  1843,  I  put  into  the  Morning  Herald  the  following  letter  : 

PROPOSAL  FOR  THE  LIBERATION  OF  COLONEL  STODDART  AND 
CAPTAIN  CONOLLY. 

To  all  the  Officers  of  the  British  Army. 

Gentlemen,  13,  Richmond  Green,  Richmond,  July  2. 

Though  a  missionary  and  a  clergyman  myself,  and  not  an  officer,  I  do  not  take 


60  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

up  my  pen  in  order  to  excite  your  sympathy  in  behalf  of  a  clergyman  or  missionary, 
but  in  behalf  of  two  of  your  fellow-officers,  Captain  Conolly  and  Colonel  Stoddart, 
who  are  at  present  captives  hi  the  great  city  of  Bokhara ;  but  having  been  myself 
two  months  at  Bokhara,  and  knowing,  as  I  do,  the  character  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Bokhara,  I  am  fully  convinced  that  the  report  of  their  having  been  put  to  death  is 
exceedingly  doubtful — much  more  so  by  the  source  from  which  the  report  originated. 
If,  therefore,  one  of  you,  gentlemen,  would  be  inclined  to  accompany  me  to  Bok- 
hara, or  merely  pay  the  expenses  of  my  journey  there,  I  am  ready  to  go  there  ;  and 
I  am  fully  confident  that  I  shall  be  able,  with  God's  help,  to  liberate  them  from  cap- 
tivity, with  the  assistance  of  my  Turkomaun  friends  in  the  desert  of  Khiva,  and  one 
of  the  derveeshes ;  but  I  would  undertake  the  journey  without  making  myself  re- 
sponsible to  the  British  Government,  and  entirely  on  my  own  responsibility. 

I  merely  want  the  expense  of  my  journey,  and  not  one  single  farthing  as  a  com- 
pensation ;  even  in  case  of  complete  success. 

I  shall  be  ten  days  more  at  Richmond,  Surrey ;  if,  therefore,  one  of  your  brave 
officers  is  now  ready  to  accompany  me,  or  to  assist  me  in  making  the  journey,  let 
him  come  to  me,  and  we  may  talk  over  the  matter  more  fully. 

I  am,  Gentlemen, 

Your  humble  servant, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF, 

Late  Curate  of  High  Hoyland,  Yorkshire,  formerly  Missionary  in  Per- 
sia, Bokhara,  and  Affghanistaun. 

The  next  day  I  had  a  letter  from  Captain  Grover,  who  informed  me 
that  he  would  provide  the  requisite  funds,  and  would  call  on  me  the 
following  day  at  Richmond.  Not  wishing  that  Lady  Georgiana 
should  be  made  uneasy  about  my  intended  journey  to  Bokhara,  until 
all  was  finally  settled,  I  determined,  if  possible,  to  anticipate  Captain 
Grover's  visit.  In  consequence,  immediately  after  breakfast  I  walked 
up  and  down  Richmond  Green,  to  intercept  the  Captain,  and  to  con- 
verse with  him  before  he  saw  Lady  Georgiana.  I  soon  perceived  a 
stranger  looking  anxiously  about  him,  and  on  addressing  him  at  a 
guess,  found  that  he  was  Captain  Grover  himself.  We  shook  hands 
most  heartily,  and  he  immediately  told  me  that  he  had  offered  to  pro- 
ceed at  his  own  expense  to  Bokhara,  and  had  been  refused  the  only 
security  for  his  safety,  he  considered,  viz.,  a  letter  from  government, 
and  the  permission  to  wear  his  uniform.  He  wished  me  to  proceed 
via  Orenbourg,  he  did  not  anticipate  any  cordial  assistance  from 
the  British  Government,  who  had  in  his  opinion  most  unaccountably 
abandoned  the  Officers  to  their  fate.  He  then  told  me  that  he  would 
make  a  national  matter  of  it,  if  he  could  not  get  it  taken  up,  as  he 
thought  it  ought  to  be,  as  a  government  question.  He  stated  his  in- 
tention to  call  a  public  meeting,  and  appoint  a  committee,  which 
would  enable  him  to  communicate  more  easily  with  the  government, 
and  to  enforce  all  necessary  measures  for  my  protection. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  61 

On  communicating  with  Lady  Georgiana,  she  felt  reluctant  to  my 
encountering  the  matter,  and  we  went  to  Bruges  to  await  the  issue  of 
Captain  Grover's  efforts.  The  circumstances  connected  with  these 
Officers  I  found  to  be  the  following.  Colonel  Stoddart  was  on  a  di- 
rect mission  from  the  government  to  Bokhara.  Captain  Conolly  on  a 
mission  to  Khokand  and  Khiva,  from  the  Indian  government,  and  fur- 
ther he  was  instructed  to  aid  and  assist  Colonel  Stoddart  in  Bokhara, 
and  had  strict  injunctions  that  Colonel  Stoddart,  in  his  political  capa- 
city there,  was  empowered  to  claim  his  services  at  any  period.  After 
this,  various  communications  took  place  between  myself  and  my 
friend  Captain  Grover,  in  which  he  detailed  the  progress  that  he  had 
made  to  carry  out  his  object,  and  he  further  published  a  small  pam- 
phlet, giving  a  few  clear  and  succinct  details  of  the  then  state  of  the 
Stoddart  and  Conolly  question.  This  pamphlet  of  Captain  Grover 
drew  public  attention  to  the  matter,  and  then  there  appeared  an  ac- 
count of  the  death  of  both  these  officers  in  the  paper,  on  the  authority 
of  one  Saleh  Muhammed,  who  simply  stated  what  he  had  heard,  but 
not  what  he  had  seen.  This  statement  had  further  the  official  guar- 
antee of  the  signature  of  the  Charge  d'Affaires  at  Teheraun,  Colonel 
Sheil.  This  semi-official  statement  produced  no  effect,  and  on  Captain 
Grover  communicating  with  me,  with  a  view  to  ascertain  what  I 
thought  of  that  statement,  I  wrote  to  him  the  following  letter ;  which 
I  here  insert  as  illustrative  of  the  feelings  and  motives  which  influ- 
enced me  in  undertaking  this  journey  : 

My  dear  Sir,  Bruges,  August  27,  1843. 

I  read  the  statements  of  Muhammed  Saleh  in  the  Globe,  copied  from  the 
Times,  two  days  before  you  were  kind  enough  to  send  to  me  the  Times,  and  I  con- 
fess that  I  doubt  more  than  ever  the  truth  of  the  report  of  their  having  been  put  to 
death,  for,  if  such  an  event  had  taken  place  in  the  city  of  Bokhara,  containing  a 
population  of  180,000  inhabitants,  he  would  not  have  heard  that  story  of  their 
heads  having  been  cut  off  by  one  of  the  executioners  alone,  but  by  the  loud  expres- 
sions of  indignation  of  thousands  of  the  inhabitants ;  but  it  seems  from  the  report  of 
Saleh  Muhammed,  that  only  one  of  the  executioners  made  him  acquainted  with  tho 
history.  I  say  there  would  have  been  loud  expressions  of  indignation,  for  having 
been  myself  two  mouths  at  Bokhara,  I  know  that  the  person  of  a  guest  is  considered 
as  sacred,  and  the  mullahs,  who  are  all-powerful  at  Bokhara,  would  have  deposed 
the  Ameer.  The  mullahs  of  Bokhara  themselves  told  me  that  if  the  Ameer  Al- 
moomeneen  (this  is  the  title  of  the  prince)  suspects  a  person  strongly,  he  either  gets 
hmi  poisoned  secretly  distant  from  Bokhara,  or  strangled,  for  they  do  not  cut  off 
heads  with  a  knife.  Beside  these  considerations,  allow  me  to  give  you  the  following 
account  of  my  own  journey  to  Bokhara  in  1831. 

When  I  arrived  the  second  time  at  Teheraun,  in  July,  1831,  (for  I  was  there  the 
first  time  in  1825,)  I  called  on  my  old  friend  Khosrow  Khan,  to  whom  I  had  been 
introduced  hi  1825  by  Sir  Henry  Willock  and  Sir  John  McNeile.  He  (Khosrow 


62  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

Khan)  sent  immediately  for  a  Persian  merchant  who  was  very  well  acquainted  with 
the  slate  of  Bokhara,  and  had  just  arrived  from  thence  ;  and  the  following  dialogue 
took  place  between  that  merchant  and  myself  in  the  presence  of  Khosrow  Khan. 

After  Khosrow  Khan,  who  was  one  of  the  ministers  of  Fut  Allah  Shah,  had 
informed  that  merchant  of  my  plan  to  go  to  Bokhara,  he  (the  merchant)  turned  to 
me,  and  said :  "  Name  tuwanee  berawee,"  i.  e.,  Thou  canst  not  go. 

W.  "  Tshera,"  «.  e.,  Why  ? 

Merchant.  "  As  soon  as  you  arrive  in  Khorassaun,  the  Turkomauns,  who  are 
cursed  Sunne'es,  and  therefore  invade  Khorassaun  (the  inhabitants  of  which  are  good 
Sheahs},  in  order  to  make  slaves  of  the  Khorassanee,  will  certainly  make  a  slave  of 
you  ;  and  if  you  should  succeed  to  come  as  far  as  Sarakhs  or  Merve,  the  Turko- 
mauns would  put  you  to  death  the  first  moment  you  should  arrive  there  ;  and  even 
if  you  were  to  arrive  at  Karakol,  there  the  governor,  another  Harram  Zadah  (son  of 

a )  of  a  Sunne'e,  would  receive  you  in  the  kindest  manner,  and  then  give  secret 

orders  to  have  you  drowned  in  the  Ammoo  (Oxus),  and  the  greatest  misfortune  for 
you  would  be  to  arrive  safely  at  Bokhara,  for  Moorcroft,  Guthrie,  and  Trebeck 
Sahib,  after  they  had  given  many  thousands  of  rupees  to  Ameer  Behadur,  have 
been  put  to  death  openly  at  Bokhara  by  his  express  orders." 

However,  I  undaunted  proceeded  to  Bokhara ;  it  is  true  that  I  was  made  a  slave 
in  Khorassaun,  but  not  by  the  "  cursed  Simnees,"  i.  e.,  the  Turkomauns,  but  by 
the  banditti  of  Muhammed  Izhak,  Khan  of  Torbad  Hydarea, — people  of  Khoras- 
saun, and  of  the  sect  of  Sheah,  who  made  slaves  of  me  and  ten  companions  of 
mine,  all  of  them  Sheahs, — made  slaves  by  their  own  co-religionists,  with  the 
design  of  selling  us  to  the  Turkomauns  ;  but  the  very  fact  of  my  being  an  English 
subject  was  not  only  the  cause  of  my  own  liberation,  but  of  all  the  Sheah  slaves  of 
Torbad,  where  a  regular  slave  market  existed,  and  where  every  year  hundreds  of 
Sheahs  were  sold  by  the  above-mentioned  Sheah  Khan  !  !  !  The  Turkomaun 
chiefs,  who  were  that  time  at  Torbad,  declared  me  to  be  their  mehmoon  (guest),  for 
whom  they  would  go  thousands  of  miles  to  give  their  lives  for  me.  They  sent 
the  Arabic  Bibles  I  gave  to  them  to  their  mullahs  at  Sarakhs  and  Khiva,  declared 
me  to  be  the  forerunner  of  the  Muhdee  and  Jesus,  and  desired  my  blessing. 

After  my  arrival  at  Meshed,  the  capital  of  Khorassaun,  the  Sheah  merchants  and 
the  Sheah  mullahs  of  Meshed,  again  assured  me  that  Moorcroft,  Guthrie,  and 
Trebeck,  had  been  publicly  put  to  death,  and  at  Bokhara  ;  on  my  arrival  among 
the  Turkomauns  in  the  desert  of  Sarakhs,  I  lodged  with  the  Jews,  but  the  wild  sons 
of  the  desert  paid  me  every  respect ;  even  their  Mullah,  who  had  got  the  Bible 
which  I  gave  when  at  Torbad  to  the  Turkomaun  Sayd  Neyaas,  came  and  asked 
from  me  thefatkha,  blessing  !  I  fixed  on  their  tents  public  proclamations,  announ- 
cing to  them  the  second  coming  of  Christ  in  Glory  and  Majesty,  called  on  them  to 
repent  of  their  evil  doings,  and  especially  exhorted  them  to  give  up  the  practice  of 
making  slaves  of  the  Persians  ;  I  remained  among  them  twenty-two  days,  and  so 
far  from  then-  attempting  to  put  me  to  death,  I  had  every  morning  numbers  of 
Turkomauns  demanding  my  blessing,  which  I  granted  on  condition  of  their 
giving  up  the  occupation  of  tshapow,  i.  e.,  slave  making.  I  then  set  out  with  one 
jsingle  Turkomaun  from  Sarakhs  to  Mower,  and  Bokhara  ;  was  not  murdered  in 
either  of  those  places,  tho'  it  was  predicted  by  the  merchant  at  Teheraun.  The 
governor  of  Karakol  gave  me,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  bread  and 
salt  to  eat,  and  tea  mixed  with  salt,  and  horse  flesh  beside,  and  was  far  from  disposed 
to  give  the  order  to  drown  me  in  the  Ammoo  or  Oxus.  On  my  arrival  at  Bokhara, 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  63 

notwithstanding  that  a  Jew  there,  Elias  by  name,  who  knew  me  at  Bagdad, 
behaved  very  hostilely  towards  me,  on  account  of  his  knowing  that  I  came  to  convert 
them,  and  declared  me  openly  before  numbers  of  the  inhabitants  to  be  a  Russian 
spy,  I  was  treated  with  the  greatest  hospitality ;  and  there  I  learned,  to  my  astonish- 
ment, that  neither  Moorcroft,  nor  Guthrie,  nor  Trebeck,  had  been  put  to  death  at 
Bokhara.  Moorcroft  himself  died  at  Ankhoy,  not  within  the  dominion  of  the  King 
of  Bokhara,  and  he  died  of  fever.  Guthrie  and  Trebeck  died  at  Mazaur,  governed 
by  a  khan,  who  is  a  rebel  against  the  King  of  Bokhara,  whom  the  Goosh-Bekee 
(vizier)  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  told  me  that  he  strongly  suspected  had  poisoned 
Guthrie  and  Trebeck  !  Now  mark !  a  few  days  after  my  arrival  there  the  mullahs 
of  Bokhara  went  in  a  body  to  the  Ameer,  and  said  :  "  O  your  Highness  !  Joseph 
Wolff,  the  Englishman  who  has  arrived  here,  has  informed  your  vizier  with  frankness 
that  the  Persians  had  told  him  that  we  had  put  to  death  Moorcroft,  Guthrie,  and 
Trebeck.  His  report  agrees  with  what  we  heard  from  others,  that  the  rascally 
Sheahs  have  given  to  the  city  of  Bokhara,  which  is  Kawat  Islaame  Deen  (Energy 
of  Islam),  the  name  of  Murderer  of  Guests,  who  are  considered  sacred  by  us.  We 
must  therefore  treat  Joseph  Wolff,  and  every  English  traveller  after  him,  with  the 
highest  regard  and  respect,  and  give  him  money  if  he  wants  it,  in  order  that  he  may 
give  a  real  statement  of  our  dispositions  towards  guests,  and  our  scrupulosity  in  the 
treatment  of  guests  !"  The  Ameer  replied :  "  By  my  head  I  Joseph  Wolff  must  be 
treated  well !  and  he  will  soon  be  convinced  that  the  Guzl  Bash  are  liars  !"  and 
well  treated  I  was  ;  and  I  am  now  in  possession  of  the  passport.  I  was  well  treated 
throughout  the  kingdom  of  Bokhara,  and  so  was  Lieutenant  Burnes,  afterwards  Sir 
A.  Burnes. 

It  is  true  that  I  was  stripped  again  afterwards,  but  not  in  the  kingdom  of  Bokhara, 
but  fourteen  days'  distant  from  it,  at  Doo-ab,  near  But-Bamian  ;  not  by  the  Sun- 
nees,  but  by  Sheahs,  who  are  by  far  worse  than  Sunne"es.  It  is  true  that  the 
expedition  to  Affghanistaun  may  have  caused  a  change  of  sentiments  towards  the 
English,  but  this  would  only  lead  to  a  detention  and  strict  surveillance  of  Colonel 
Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  not  to  a  violent  murder  of  them  ;  and  if  it  had  led 
to  such,  why  has  it  never  been  confirmed  by  the  Chekarpoore  merchants  at  Teheraun 
and  the  Jews  of  Meshed  ?  for  the  merchants  in  the  caravanserai  of  Chekarpoore  at 
Bokhara  have  continual  intercourse  with  the  Chekarpoore  merchants  at  Teheraun  ; 
and  those  Chekarpoore  merchants  of  Bokhara,  jealous  as  they  are  of  English 
travellers,  certainly  would  have  noised  it  abroad,  if  such  a  deed  had  been  perpetrated 
at  Bokhara.  I  also  forgot  to  add,  that  whilst  I  was  well  treated  at  Bokhara,  letters 
arrived  from  the  Jews  of  Meshed,  stating  that  it  had  been  currently  reported  at 
Meshed  and  Isfahan  that  I  had  been  put  to  death  by  order  of  the  Ameer. 

Now,  having  given  you  my  reasons  for  disbelieving  Saleh  Muhammed's  account, 
I  repeat  again  my  willingness  to  proceed  if  all  can  be  arranged  by  the  1st  of 
October.  I  get  letters  after  letters,  making  inquiries,  as  if  they  had  to  confer  a 
personal  favour  upon  me  ;  whilst  I  wish  to  undertake  the  journey,  not  for  my  own 
pleasure,  but  from  a  sense  of  philanthropy. 

Such  being  my  motives,  I  remain, 
Yours  truly, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

I  trust  my  readers  will  not  deem  me  too  sanguine  in  considering 
the  account  of  Saleh  Muhammed,  alluded  to  in  this  letter,  as  false, 


64  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

since  it  afterwards  turned  out  to  be  substantially  so  ;  or  inconclusive 
in  reasoning,  in  placing  the  story  of  the  death  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and 
Captain  Conolly  on  a  similar  basis  with  respect  to  veracity  to  that  be- 
fore us  as  to  the  death  of  these  English  travellers,  which  also  turned 
out  to  be  totally  unfounded.  I  received  shortly  after  this,  fresh  com- 
munications  of  the  further  progress  of  the  Mission  on  behalf  of  Colonel 
Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  and  replied  in  the  following  terms  : 

My  dear  Captain  Grover,  Bruges  en  Bdgique,  Sept.  4,  1843. 

I  am  glad  to  learn  that  the  project  with  regard  to  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Cap- 
tain Conolly  seems  to  be  on  the  fair  way  of  being  realized. 

It  would  not  be  the  first  time  that  I  have  been  enabled  to  be  of  service  to  others, 
even  at  the  expense  of  my  missionary  proceedings.  In  the  year  1836,  I  intended 
proceeding  to  Timboktoo  from  Abyssinia,  but  on  my  arrival  at  Adwa  in  Tigree,  I 
found  Mr.  Gobat  the  missionary  very  ill,  and  unable  to  return  to  Europe  with  his 
wife  and  child ;  I  therefore  renounced  my  plan  of  going  to  Timboktoo,  and  brought 
Mr.  Gobat  and  his  family  safely  to  Jiddah.  I  fell  ill  after  this  myself,  which  obliged 
me  to  change  my  plans  altogether.  The  committee  of  the  Church  Missionary  So- 
ciety thanked  me  for  that  act. 

In  the  year  1821,  when  in  the  Isle  of  Cyprus,  I  saved  the  lives  of  four  priests, 
who  were  sentenced  to  be  put  to  death ;  and  three  boys  of  the  Greeks,  whose  fathers 
were  put  to  death,  were  sent  by  me  to  England.  In  1821,  I  established  the  Mission 
at  Jerusalem,  when  all  the  friends  at  home  thought  that  it  was  impossible. 

You  may  make  use  of  these  statements  in  case  that  you  think  that  they  will  be 
useful ;  but  pass  them  over  with  silence  in  case  that  you  deem  it  proper. 

After  I  shall  have  been  informed  that  five  or  six  hundred  pounds  have  been  paid 
into  the  bank  of  Messieurs  Drummond  and  Co.,  49,  Charing  Cross,  and  a  passport 
from  Lord  Aberdeen,  to  the  following  purport, — Revd.  Joseph  Wolff.  English  Cler- 
gyman, travelling  in  Central  Asia, — shall  have  been  given,  accompanied  with  two 
letters,  according  to  Lord  Aberdeen's  own  promise,  simply  recommending  me  to  the 
good  offices  of  Sir  S.  Canning  and  Colonel  Sheil,  without  involving  Lord  Aberdeen 
or  the  Ambassadors  in  any  responsibility,  I  shall  proceed  instantly  from  Bruges  with 
Lady  Georgiana  to  London,  to  see  once  more  my  son,  who  is  educated  at  Rugby  ; 
but  I  shall  only  stay  at  London  till  the  first  October  packet  sails  for  Malta  from 
Falmouth.  Perhaps  the  Colonial  Secretary  would  also  give  me  a  letter  for  the  gov- 
ernor at  Malta,  and  the  Admiralty  for  the  admiral  in  the  Mediterranean.  My 
missionary  character  has  been  a  passport  at  Bokhara  in  1832,  and  also  in  other  most 
dangerous  places,  and  I  trust  it  will  prove  so  again  to  me,  and  Stoddart  and  Conolly, 
with  God's  help,  in  1843. 

Pray,  after  all  is  settled,  ask  from  the  Jews'  Society  one  dozen  Hebrew  Bibles  and 
Liturgies  for  the  Jews  at  Bokhara. 

Yours  affectionately, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

I  hope  my  readers  will  perceive  my  object  in  laying  before  them  a 
large  mass  of  the  correspondence  antecedent  to  my  departure,  since  I 
trust  it  will  produce  this  important  result,  viz.,  the  clear  indication 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  65 

that  my  course  and  plan  were  well  and  dispassionately  weighed,  and 
that  no  unseemly  haste  was  exhibited  in  my  own  conduct,  or  apparent 
in  the  proceedings  of  any  party.  I  continued  to  receive  from  Captain 
Grover  renewed  assurances  of  the  confidence  entertained  in  the  result 
of  my  exertions,  and  I  again  wrote  to  him  as  follows  relative  to  a  pub- 
lic meeting  which  it  was  his  intention  to  convene  : 

My  dear  Grover,  Bruges,  Sept.  6,  1843. 

I  beg  you  to  state  frankly  and  openly  to  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the 
meeting,  that  I  am  fully  aware  of  the  doubts  entertained  with  regard  to  Colonel 
Stoddart's  and  Captain  Conolly's  being  still  alive  ;  but  at  the  same  tune,  tell  them 
also,  that  nothing  has  shaken  my  wish  of  ascertaining  the  fact  with  my  own  eyes ; 
and  should  they  be  dead,  (which  I  trust  is  not  the  case,  and  have  reasons  to  doubt,) 
the  people  of  Bokhara  and  their  prince  will  be  struck  with  amazement  and  conster- 
nation, on  their  observing  that  such  interest  is  taken  in  England  in  the  lives  of  their 
countrymen  ;  and  it  may  have  a  great  moral  and  religious  influence  among  them. 
When  I  set  out  in  the  year  1821  for  the  purpose  of  preaching  the  Gospel  at  Jerusa- 
lem, all  my  friends,  among  whom  was  that  man  of  God,  Mr.  Simeon  himself,  thought 
it  impossible  ;  however  I  went  there  and  preached  the  Gospel,  and  with  God's  help, 
was  thus  the  first  cause  which  induced  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christianity  among 
the  Jews,  to  send  a  permanent  mission  there ;  and  my  going  to  Bokhara  the  second 
time  may  thus  lead  to  other  results.  Let  us  show  to  Muhammedans  that  Chris- 
tians love  each  other  so  much,  that  they  are  ready  to  lay  down  their  lives  for  each 
other ! 

Yours  affectionately, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

Of  the  contents  of  this  letter  I  am,  on  its  reperusal  after  this  dis- 
tance of  time,  still  further  convinced  that  the  principle  I  then  laid 
down,  that  my  Mission  would  produce  a  good  result  to  England,  hap- 
pen  what  might  to  myself  personally,  has  been  realized  ;  and  I  feel 
fully  satisfied  that  a  moral  dignity  has  been  lent  to  England  by  this 
Mission  among  the  Oriental  nations,  that  will  last  and  produce  far 
more  beneficial  results  to  her  power  than  if  it  had  been  attended  with 
every  possible  success.  It  has,  at  least,  demonstrated  that  death  does 
not  intimidate  an  Englishman,  and  that  he  will  demand  from  the  very 
executioner  and  butcher  of  his  countrymen,  the  strictest  account  of 
such  atrocities,  either  at  the  head  of  armies,  or  as  the  simple  Christian, 
with  no  other  arms  than  the  Word  of  Truth — the  Bible.  I  need  only 
allude  to  the  positive  fact,  subsequently  developed  in  the  further  prog- 
ress of  this  narrative,  that  though  with  no  other  power  than  that  of  a 
simple  derveesh,  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  proffered  to  send  an  ambassa- 
dor with  me  to  give  an  account  of  his  conduct  to  our  government, 
though  fully  assured  by  me  that  my  mission  was  not  political.'  This 
ambassador  also  was  to  proceed  first  to  the  Sultan,  to  obtain  his  inter- 

9 


66  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

cession  with  England,  and  I  need  not  appeal  for  further  evidence  than 
that,  as  to  the  utility  of  the  noble  mission  of  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly 
Committee. 

My  letter  of  the  6th  was  well  received,  when  read  to  them,  by  the 
Stoddart  and  Conolly  Committee,  which  was  formed  September  7th, 
1843  ;  and  that  .body  of  gentlemen  manifested  a  most  enthusiastic  in- 
terest in  my  Mission.  Captain  Grover  was  installed  as  its  President, 
a  most  necessary  measure,  as  it  enabled  him  to  put  himself  in  com- 
munication  with  Government,  and  to  demand  all  necessary  aid.  It 
further  emboldened  me  in  my  design,  as  I  had  then  to  deal  with  a  rec- 
ognised organ  of  communication.  Captain  Grover  had  informed  the 
Committee  that  I  was  prepared  to  start  when  500Z.  was  raised  for  that 
object,  but  that  he  trusted  2000Z.  would  be  realized  speedily.  To  this 
communication  I  replied,  giving  my  plan  of  proceeding  ;  and,  in  re- 
turn, received  a  letter,  dated  September  15,  from  Captain  Grover, 
communicating  the  information  that  the  route  proposed  was  accepted 
by  the  Committee,  and  informing  me  that  he  should  take  apartments 
for  me  in  London  near  Portman  square.  It  also  communicated  the 
highly-valuable  accession  of  the  hero  of  Navarino,  Sir  E.  Codrington, 
and  the  celebrated  traveller,  Mr.  J.  Silk  Buckingham,  as  members  of 
the  Committee ;  as  also  the  munificent  contributions  of  Lords  Beau- 
vale  and  Melbourne  to  the  fund. 

About  this  period  Lieutenant  Eyre,  so  well  known  for  his  distin- 
guished conduct  at  Cabul,  did  me  the  honour  to  send  me  the  following 
spirited  and  high-minded  communication  : 

Revd.  and  dear  Sir,  Meerut,  Sept.  11,  1843. 

I  have  but  just  perused  your  letter  of  2nd  July  last,  in  which  you  so  nobly 
offer  to  proceed  to  Bokhara,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  the  release  of  those  enter- 
prising but  unfortunate  officers,  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Arthur  Conolly  ;  both 
of  whom  I  had  once  the  pleasure  to  know  personally,  and  with  the  latter  of  whom 
I  was  on  most  friendly  and  intimate  terms.  Had  it  been  my  good  fortune  to  be 
present  in  England  when  your  letter  appeared,  I  would  not  have  hesitated  for  an 
instant  to  accept  the  invitation  which  you  gave  to  any  British  officer  to  accompany 
you  ;  and  I  feel  assured  we  could  have  managed  between  us  to  raise  sufficient 
money  for  the  purpose.  Even  now,  if  I  am  not  unhappily  too  late,  I  offer  myself 
as  your  companion,  and  I  have  just  dispatched  a  letter  to  the  secretary  of  the  Cabul 
Relief  Committee,  urging  that  a  sufficient  sum  may  at  once  be  placed  at  your 
disposal,  to  use  in  case  of  necessity,  and  I  am  not  without  hope  that  my  suggestions 
may  be  attended  to. 

Though  not  enjoying  the  pleasure  of  your  personal  acquaintance,  I  am  sufficiently 
acquainted  with  your  character  to  feel  confident  that  you  are,  of  all  men,  the  most 
likely  to.  succeed  in  the  object  you  at  present  have  in  view.  I  heard  much  of  you 
when  you  were  in  India  from  our  mutual  friends  Darcy  Todd  and  poor  Arthur 
Conolly  himself.  My  own  name  may  be  not  quite  unknown  to  you,  as  one  of  those 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  67 

British  officers  who  fell  into  the  hands  of  Akbar  Khan,  on  the  retreat  from  Cabul,  in 
January,  1842,  and  who,  after  a  captivity  of  more  than  eight  months,  experienced 
so  wonderful  and  so  unlocked  for  a  deliverance,  when  on  the  point  of  being  carried 
into  Toorkistan,  with  their  wives  and  families.  The  remembrance  of  my  own  most 
Providential  liberation  arms  me  with  all  the  necessary  confidence  and  resolution  for 
joining  in  this  eiFort  on  behalf  of  my  less  fortunate  countrymen,  who  are  still,  per- 
haps, languishing  in  a  miserable  imprisonment  at  Bokhara.  To  be,  in  the  most 
remote  degree,  instrumental  in  their  deliverance,  I  should  esteem  the  greatest 
happiness  that  could  befall  me,  and  if  when  this  letter  shall  reach  your  hands,  no 
more  suitable  companion  should  have  offered  himself,  we  might  perhaps  manage  to 
meet  each  other  at  Bombay,  or  some  other  place,  thence  to  proceed  by  whatever 
route  shall  seem  to  you  most  feasible. 

I  should  not  despair  of  reaching  Bokhara  in  safety  by  the  route  of  Cabul,  because 
I  know  that  both  Dost  Mahomed  Khan  and  his  son,  Mahomed  Akbar,  are  interested 
in  the  fate  of  Stoddart,  with  whom  they  were  once  shut  up  in  the  same  prison  at 
Bokhara,  and  formed  a  personal  friendship  in  consequence.  They  would  therefore 
be  likely  to  afford  every  facility  to  such  a  journey  as  you  contemplate  ;  and  they 
might  even  feel  some  gratification  in  seeing  one  who  had  been  so  recently  a  prisoner 
in  their  hands,  appearing  with  so  much  confidence  amongst  them  again,  and  trusting 
to  their  feelings  of  humanity.  The  Khiva  route,  however,  which  you  propose,  seems 
the  most  free  from  risk,  and  easiest  of  accomplishment  to  one  starting  direct  from 
England. 

I  will  now  tell  you  all  I  have  been  able  to  learn  about  our  two  captive  country- 
men. 

The  last  authentic  intelligence  was  contained  in  two  letters  from  Arthur  Conolly 
himself,  to  his  brother  John,  then  a  hostage  at  Cabul,  in  the  summer  of  1842,  in 
which  he  drew  a  melancholy  picture  of  their  situation  in  a  prison  at  Bokhara.  For 
four  months  they  had  no  change  of  raiment ;  their  dungeon  was  in  a  most  filthy 
and  unwholesome  state,  and  teemed  with  vermin  to  a  degree  that  rendered  life  a 
burden.  Stoddart  was  reduced  to  a  skeleton,  and  his  body  was  covered  with  putrid 
sores.  They  had,  with  great  difficulty,  prevailed  on  one  of  their  keepers  to  represent 
their  wretched  condition  to  the  King,  and  were  then  awaiting  his  reply,  having 
committed  themselves  to  God,  in  the  full  assurance  that  unless  soon  released,  death 
must  shortly  terminate  their  sufferings. 

The  King  was  always  described  to  us  by  the  Affghans,  as  a  mad  .and  merciless 
tyrant,  being  subject  to  fits  of  insanity,  during  the  continuance  of  which  all  around 
him  trembled  for  their  lives.  This  picture  of  him  may  be  overcharged,  but,  if  true, 
it  is  almost  destructive  of  hope. 

You  have,  of  course,  heard  the  story  derived,  through  Colonel  Sheil,  from  a  Per- 
sian who  professed  to  have  actually  seen  the  graves  hi  which  Stoddart  and  Conolly 
had  been  buried.  This  story  has,  however,  been  contradicted  by  two  highly  re- 
spectable Jews,  both  of  whom  I  know  intimately,  and  whom  I  believe  to  be  honest 
upright  men.  They  have  received  letters  from  friends  at  Bokhara,  mentioning  both 
officers  as  still  alive  ;  and  information  has  been  received  from  other  quarters,  that 
the  two  graves  were  those  of  two  servants  who  had  offended  the  King.  There  was 
a  popular  belief  at  the  time  of  their  execution,  that  they  were  British  officers,  and 
this  may  have  been  what  misled  Colonel  Sheil's  informant. 

Sept.  18th.  Since  writing  the  foregoing,  I  have  received  a  reply  to  my  applica- 
tion from  the  Cabul  Relief  Committee,  who  regret  that  they  are  debarred  by  the 


68  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

rules  of  the  fund  to  place  any  money  at  your  disposal,  but  expressing  their  readiness 
to  assist  your  undertaking  to  the  utmost  of  their  power.  I  greatly  lament  that  no- 
thing can  now  be  done  by  this  mail,  but  I  shall  stir  the  matter  in  the  papers.  I 
have  just  learned  that  my  troop  is  ordered  to  Agra,  to  form  part  of  an  army  there  to 
assemble.  Should  my  public  duty  in  this  country  interfere  with  the  private  wish  I 
have  here  expressed,  you  will  still  believe  I  take  the  greatest  interest  in  your  pro- 
ceedings, and  shall  rejoice  with  all  my  heart  to  hear  of  your  success.  God  be  with 
you,  my  dear  sir,  and  believe  me,  Yours  very  faithfully, 

VINCENT  EYRE,  Lt.  Horse  Artillery. 

The  numerous  useful  suggestions  contained  in  this  letter,  it  is  al- 
most unnecessary  to  particularize ;  I  was  glad  to  find  that  the  route 
I  had  proposed  seemed  the  best  to  this  experienced  traveller.  The 
sufferings  of  the  British  Officers,  I  need  not  add,  as  described  in  this 
letter,  added  fresh  fuel  to  my  earnest  desire  to  reach  them;  and 
though  the  character  of  the  Khan,  which  was  fully  realized  in  my 
own  instance  afterwards,  was  anything  but  satisfactory  to  my  feelings, 
I  confess,  yet  had  I  on  the  instant  possessed  the  magic  carpet  of 
Prince  Houssein,  I  should  have  immediately  used  it  to  transport  my- 
self to  Bokhara  to  inquire  into  their  sad  destiny,  if  possible  to  redress 
their  fearful  wrongs.  No  reply  could  of  course  be  given  to  this  let- 
ter, which  arrived  in  England  after  I  had  started,  and  reached  me  at 
Constantinople. 

Nor  was  this  the  only  offer  I  received  indicative  of  the  deep  sym- 
pathy entertained  for  the  British  Envoys.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Napier, 
on  hearing  of  my  offer,  immediately  volunteered  to  accompany  me  in 
the  following  letter : 

Sir,  Merchiston  Hall,  Horndean,  Hants,  August  17. 

I  see  by  the  public  papers  that  you  are  anxious  to  proceed  to  Bokhara,  to  en- 
quire into  the  case  of  Colonel  Stoddart,  and  would  wish  to  be  accompanied  by  a 
military  man  f  T  have  been  a  good  deal  in  the  East,  and  if  such  an  expedition  could 
be  managed  and  authorized  by  the  British  government,  it  would  give  me  great  pleas- 
ure (under  certain  provisos)  to  have  the  advantage  of  the  company  of  so  experienced 
a  traveller  as  yourself.  Believe  me,  reverend  sir,  to  remain, 

Yours  truly, 
E.  NAPIER,  Lt. -Colonel  H.  P.  Unatt. 

To  resume  the  thread  of  my  story,  to  the  letter  before  alluded  to 
from  Captain  Grover,  I  subjoin  my  reply : 

My  dear  Captain  Crover,  Bruges,  Sept.  18,  1843. 

I  beg  you  to  tell  the  members  of  the  Committee  that  I  am  highly  flattered  with 
the  confidence  they  place  hi  me.  I  think  that  Malta  will  be  the  shortest  way ; 
therefore,  try  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  start  with  the  first  steam-packet  in  the  month 
of  October,  and  that  all  may  be  prepared  for  that  time.  I  am  very  glad  that  Lord 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  69 

Melbourne  and  the  Hero  of  Navarino  take  an  interest  in  this  matter.  I  shall  be 
able  to  consolidate  the  forty-one  pounds,  which  are  in  Drummonds'  hands,  from  the 
separate  committee.  After  the  necessary  five  hundred  pounds  shall  be  collected, 
and  the  passports  and  letters  from  the  Foreign  Office  procured  for  Sir  Stratford  Can- 
ning and  Colonel  Shell,  I  shall  be  very  happy  to  attend  a  meeting  at  London,  and 
state  more  at  large  the  importance  of  ascertaining  the  truth  of  the  report  of  Muham- 
med  Saleh,  which  has  since,  according  to  the  newspapers,  been  contradicted  by  pil- 
grims from  Bokhara,  who  passed  Constantinople.  It  is  very  extraordinary  that 
neither  Sheil,  nor  any  one  from  Teheraun  mentions  that  the  report  had  been  con- 
firmed by  caravans  from  Bokhara,  nor  by  the  Jews  of  Meshed ;  and  the  whole  evi- 
dence depends  on  the  too  circumstantial  account  of  Muhammed  Saleh,  as  Miss 
Stoddart  lately  wrote  to  me. 

I  do  not  like  to  come  to  London  with  Lady  Georgiana  until  all  is  settled,  on  ac- 
count of  the  expense  which  I  should  incur  at  London ;  for  having  never  had  a  living 
in  England,  and  being  only  lately  a  curate  in  Yorkshire,  with  an  income  of  sixty 
pounds  per  annum,  which  obliged  me  to  leave  the  place,  in  order  to  live  in  the  cheap 
town  of  Bruges,  I  do  not  like  to  go  away  from  here,  where  I  have  hired  apartments, 
and  incur  expenses  at  London  for  other  apartments,  until  I  am  on  the  very  point  of 
starting  for  Bokhara.  I  think  that  such  a  meeting  would  be  highly  useful. 

If  we  find  both  Conolly  and  Stoddart  dead,  the  Asiatic  nation,  the  Muhamme- 
dans,  will  have  perceived  by  my  inquiring  after  them,  that  the  Christians  love  each 
other,  and  are  not  indifferent  at  the  fate  of  two  of  their  brethren  ;  and  they  will 
exclaim,  as  in  the  time  of  Tertullian  the  heathens  exclaimed :  "  How  the.se  Christians 
love  each  other .'"  And,  further,  this  Mission  will  make  the  people  of  Bokhara  ap- 
prehensive of  the  consequences,  and  deter  them  from  doing  so  again ;  and  also, 
knowing,  as  I  do,  that  the  powerful  Khans  of  Khiva,  Shahr  Sabz,  and  Khokand,  are 
(but  especially  that  of  Shahr  Sabz)  enemies  of  the  King  of  Bokhara,  I  may  ascer- 
tain how  far  these  Khans  will  be  prepared  to  take  up  the  case,  and  unite  with  Eng- 
land in  punishing  the  Khan  of  Bokhara,  if  he  should  have  done  such  a  thing.  Many 
other  beneficial  results  may  accrue  from  this  journey.  But  I  repeat  my  most  firm 
conviction,  that  I  do  not  believe  one  single  word  of  the  circumstantial  account  of 
Muhammed  Saleh,  for  there  is  no  nation  in  the  world  like  the  Persian,  who  can  tell 
lies  in  the  most  circumstantial  manner. 

1.  I  shall  take  with  me  a  clergyman's  gown  and  cassock,  my  hood,  and  a  shovel  hat. 

2.  One  dozen  or  two  of  Hebrew  Bibles  and  Testaments,  and  of  the  Common 
Prayer  Book  in  Hebrew,  for  the  Jews  of  Bokhara,  Shahr  Sabz,  Khiva,  Samarcand, 
Balkh,  and  Khokand.     These  you  may  get  from  the  London  Society  for  Promoting 
Christianity  among  the  Jews. 

3.  Two  or  three  dozens  of  silver  watches,  for  the  grand  mullah  and  mullahs  of 
Bokhara,  the  Khans  of  Khiva,  Shahr  Sabz  and  Khokand.    The  Ameer  of  Bokhara 
shall  not  get  one  single  thing,  in  case  that  he  was  the  cause  of  their  death. 

4.  Two  or  three  dozens  of  maps  in  the  Arabic  characters,  published  by  the  Church 
Missionary  Society. 

5.  Three  dozens  of  Robinson  Crusoe,  translated  into  Arabic  by  Mr.  Schlienz,  at 
Malta.     I  distributed  a  great  many  copies  of  this  book,  when  at  Sanaa  and  Loheya, 
in  Arabia,  and  I  assure  you  that  it  excited  a  great  sensation.     Robinson  Crusoe's 
adventures  and  wisdom*  were  read  by  Muhammedans  in  the  market-places  of  Sa- 

*  On  reading  the  book  which  I  gave  them  the  Arabs  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  that  Robinson  Crusoe 
must  have  been  a  great  Prophet !" 


70  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

naa,  Hodyeda,  and  Loheya,  and  admired  and  believed  !     All  these  circumstances  I 
would  state  in  the  meeting,  and  an  interesting  meeting  we  shall  have. 

Lord  Viscount  Canning  wrote  to  me,  that  whenever  I  should  come  to  London, 
and  wish  to  see  him,  he  shall  be  most  happy  to  receive  me.  I  think  that  it  will  be 
well  to  make  him  and  Lord  Aberdeen  acquainted  with  the  contents  of  my  letters,  in 
order  that  they  may  see  that  I  have  a  well-matured  plan,  and  do  not  intend  to  make 
use  of  the  name  of  government  in  my  proceedings,  and  that,  after  all,  I  don't  in- 
tend to  rush  into  danger  like  a  wild  fanatic ! 

If  I  was  in  London,  we  could  combine  many  things  together,  which  cannot  be 
done  so  well  by  letter ;  but,  as  I  have  said,  I  fear  the  expenses.  My  health  is  quite 
well,  and  so  I  am  not  afraid  on  this  score,  not  to  be  able  to  make  this  journey. 

Yours  very  truly, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

P.  S.  You  should  send  your  pamphlet,  and  all  the  proceedings  of  the  Committee, 
to  the  Turkish,  Russian,  and  Persian  ambassadors  at  London,  and  also  to  Arteen 
Bey,  Muhammed  Ali's  envoy,  by  which  means  the  news  will  spread  to  Bokhara  be- 
fore I  arrive  there,  and  may  effect  the  liberation  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  before  I 
get  there.  Communicate  it  also  to  the  French  ambassador. 

On  this  subject  I  need  offer  but  few  observations,  except  to  note  the 
trouble  from  a  solitary  member  of  the  Stoddart  family,  that  I  experi- 
enced ;  but  I  shall  not  further  honour  that  individual,  save  by  the 
simple  statement,  that  if  an  individual  had  been  selected  from  out  the 
entire  world  who  ought  to  have  clasped  in  tears  and  gratitude  the 
knees  of  my  friend  Captain  Grover,  one  would  have  naturally  ex- 
pected him  to  have  been  that  individual  who  most  grossly  insulted  and 
abused  Captain  Grover  at  the  public  meeting  at  Exeter  Hall  on  my 
return  to  England  !  The  British  public  exhibited  on  that  occasion 
their  sense  of  that  ungrateful  attack  on  the  friend  of  Stoddart,  by  ex- 
pressions of  no  doubtful  character. 

But  I  will  not  anticipate  matters.  The  particulars  detailed  in  this 
letter  show,  I  trust,  that  I  was  not  a  man  prepared  madly  and  reck- 
lessly to  risk  my  life,  but  prove,  I  conceive,  that  my  plan  for  the  mis- 
sion was  both  comprehensive  and  as  secure  as  circumstances  would 
permit  it  to  be.  After  a  further  communication  with  Captain  Grover 
on  the  convening  of  a  public  meeting, — in  which  I  was  desirous  of 
laying  before  the  public  my  former  experience  in  the  habits  of  these 
countries,  and  of  detailing  my  journey  to  Bokhara  in  1830,  and  of 
my  curious  reception  in  that  interesting  and  ancient  city, — I  again,  on 
the  26th  of  September,  announced  to  him  my  intention  of  coming  to 
England  to  prepare  for  the  expedition,  and  also  my  plan  of  embarka- 
tion by  the  October  packet  of  the  15th  from  Southampton  to  Malta, 
and  that  I  purposed  quitting  Bruges  on  the  1st  of  October  for  that  ob- 
ject. Before,  however,  I  did  so,  I  addressed  to  Captain  Grover  the 
following  letter : 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  71 

Bruges,  Hotel  du  Commerce, 
To  Captain  Graver.  Sept.  28,  1843. 

You  will  have  received  my  letter  of  the  25th,  as  an  answer  of  yours  received 
eta  Antwerp,  by  which  you  will  perceive  that  my  proposed  plan  exactly  agrees  with 
the  wish  of  the  Committee,  stated  in  your  letter  of  the  25th.  I  shall  come  over  to 
England,  via  Ostend,  on  Monday,  in  the  afternoon  ;  for  we  shall  sail  from  Ostend 
on  the  1st  of  October,  in  the  evening.  I  hope  that  the  Iberia  is  a  steamer,  for  I 
would  not  run  any  risk  in  a  sailing  vessel  at  this  season  of  the  year ;  and  in  case 
that  it  is  a  government  packet,  perhaps  the  Admiralty  would  grant  to  me  a  free  pas- 
sage in  her?  However,  this  is  only  a  query.  With  regard  lo  the  watches  I  men- 
tioned, you  must  contrive  that  they  are  bought  clear  from  the  five  hundred  pounds, 
which  must  go  entirely  for  my  expenses  to  Bokhara,  and  back  to  London. 

The  reasons  of  my  going  to  Bokhara  are  : 

1st.  To  perform  a  Christian  act,  by  attempting  the  liberation  of  fellow-creatures, 
of  two  gullant  officers  of  my  adopted  country. 

2nd.  To  liberate  a  friend,  an  intimate  friend  of  mine,  in  the  person  of  Conolly. 

3rd.  To  be  useful  to  England. 

4th.  To  perform  a  promise  given  to  the  prime  minister  of  Bokhara,  that  I  would 
remove  the  prejudice  from  the  Europeans,  caused  by  the  calumny  of  the  Persians, 
that  the  people  of  Bokhara  were  murderers  of  guests. 

5th.  To  show  to  Asiatics  how  highly  an  Englishman  and  a  Christian  values  the 
life  of  his 'fellow-creature,  by  exposing  myself  to  the  fatigues  and  dangers  of  a  jour- 
ney from  the  Thames  to  the  Oxus ;  and  thus  to  inspire  respect  for  the  name  of  an 
Englishman  in  the  minds  of  the  Usbegs  and  their  prince. 

6th,  and  lastly.  To  be  the  instrument  of  drying  the  tears  from  the  eyes  of 
Conolly's  family,  and  perhaps  *  *  * 

I  hope,  my  dear  friends,  that  there  will  be  no  disappointment,  for  it  would  be  dis- 
tressing if  I  were  to  come  to  England,  and  then  the  plan  be  given  up.  There  is 
only  one  disappointment  which  I  should  be  glad  to  learn  ;  and  that  is,  that  accounts 
were  to  reach  you  that  Stoddart  and  Conolly  have  arrived  at  Teheraun.  This  would 
be  indeed  an  agreeable  disappointment  for  me. 

I  beg  you  to  express  to  the  Committee  my  sense  of  heartfelt  gratitude  for  the 
confidence  they  have  placed  in  me.  I  beg  you  to  make  acceptable  to  Sir  Edward 
Codrington,  whom  I  had  the  honour  to  know  when  at  Malta,  my  humble  respects, 
and  kind  regards  to  the  brothers  of  the  justly -lamented  Sir  Alexander  Burnes. 

I  am,  yours  truly, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

I  arrived  in  England  on  October  1st,  1843.  The  day  after  my  ar- 
rival in  London  I  had  an  interview  with  the  Committee,  when  Captain 
Grover,  according  to  his  promise,  gave  me  a  check  on  his  bankers  for 
five  hundred  pounds.  I  explained  to  the  Committee  my  reasons  for 
disbelieving  the  statement  of  Saleh  Muhammed,  to  which  the  govern- 
ment gave  credit,  and  detailed  at  full  the  plan  I  purposed  following 
during  my  journey  and  residence  at  Bokhara.  I  promised  to  go  di- 
rectly thither,  and  on  no  account  to  deviate  from  the  direct  route.  It 
was  agreed  on  between  us,  that  as  soon  as  I  had  ascertained  that 
Stoddart  and  Conolly  had  been  put  to  death,  or  that  I  should  have 


72  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

conveyed  them  safe  to  Teheraun,  that  ray  engagement  with  the  Com- 
mittee should  cease,  and  that  I  should  be  at  liberty  to  proceed  wher- 
ever I  might  please.  The  Committee  were  most  anxious  for  my  per- 
sonal safety^  and  Captain  Grover  did  all  in  his  power  to  impress  upon 
my  mind  the  great  dangers  and  difficulties  to  which  I  was  about  to 
expose  myself,  and  also  as  to  the  uncertainty  of  my  being  able  to  clear 
up  the  mystery  should  I  reach  Bokhara.  I  gave  the  Committee  a 
short  account  of  my  previous  journeys  to  Bokhara,  of  the  kind  man- 
ner I  was  treated  by  the  Ameer,  and  of  my  acquaintance  with  many 
of  the  most  important  persons  of  that  holy  and  learned  city.  My 
sacred  character  of  Mullah  would  also  command  respect,  I  had  no 
doubt,  and  the  charitable  object  of  my  journey  would,  I  trusted,  in- 
sure me  the  kindness  of  all.  My  knowledge  of  Hebrew  would  enable 
me  to  communicate  secretly  with  the  Jews,  and  of  Persian  and  Arabic 
with  other  parties.  Captain  Grover  remarked,  that  every  means 
would  be  employed  to  make  me  believe  the  officers  were  dead  •  to 
which  I  replied  that  nothing  but  seeing  their  bones  would  satisfy  me, 
and  these  I  would  bring  to  the  Committee.  I  expressed  a  wish  that  a 
public  meeting  should  be  convened,  1st,  that  the  objects  of  the  mission 
might  be  understood,  and  benefit  me  by  preceding  me  wherever  I 
went ;  2nd,  with  a  view  to  the  reimbursement  of  Captain  Grover  by 
the  British  public ;  and  3rd,  that  any  of  the  relatives  of  the  Stoddart 
or  Conolly  family,  or  others,  might  then  have  an  opportunity  of  show- 
ing their  sympathy  with  my  mission,  by  aiding  it  by  all  the  means  in 
their  power. 

A  meeting  was  immediately  convened  at  the  Hanover-square 
Rooms,  Major-General  Sir  Jeremiah  Bryant,  C.B.,  in  the  chair.  My 
friend  Captain  Grover  detailed  the  singular  circumstances  under 
which  we  became  acquainted;  and  certainly  our  juxta-position  as  a 
British  officer  and  a  Protestant  divine,  both  devoutly  and  sincerely  oc- 
cupied on  one  common  purpose  of  philanthropy — to  which  he  eloquent- 
ly alluded — was  alone  one  of  remarkable  singularity.  I  pointed  out 
to  that  meeting,  that  on  my  first  expedition  to  Bokhara,  in  1832,  a 
report  prevailed  that  the  travellers  Moorcroft  and  Trebeck  had  been 
barbarously  murdered  by  the  Khan  of  Bokhara,  which  proved  wholly 
unfounded.  I  indicated  also  my  reception  by  the  Goosh-Bekee,  or 
"  King's  Ear,"  to  whom  I  had  notified  my  purpose  to  visit  Bokhara 
and  Balkh,  to  converse  with  my  people  the  Jews  about  Jesus,  and,  if 
possible,  to  trace  the  Tribes  of  the  Dispersion.  Eighteen  years  had 
been  consumed  by  me  in  missionary  labour.  That  I  considered  Bok- 
hara and  Samarcand  to  be  one  of  their  positions,  if  extant,  in  common 
with  a  celebrated  Rabbi  at  Jerusalem,  and  that  I  was  supported  in 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  73 

that  view  by  the  remarkable  passage  in  1  Chron.  v.  26.  I  showed 
that  I  was  plundered,  beaten,  and  enslaved  by  the  Turkomauns,  but 
that  such  was  the  respect  entertained  for  derveeshes  that  my  liberty 
was  restored  to  me.  I  pointed  out  the  feelings  under  which  I  entered 
the  gates  of  Bokhara,  the  Kawate  Islaam-ud-Deen,  the  strength  of 
Islamism,  the  city  of  Afrasiab,  the  supposed  Habor  of  Scripture, 
the  rival  and  supplantress  of  Samarcand,  the  place  of  residency  of 
Behadur  Khan,  the  treasures  of  which  are  so  celebrated  that  they  are 
mentioned  in  the  poems  of  Hafiz, — the  asylum  of  the  Nogay,  the  Jew, 
the  Girgese,  once  the  Hindoo  Bokhara,  so  harshly  treated  by  Ghengis 
Khan,  and  then  again  by  Tamerlane.  I  entered  it  with  my  Bible  in 
my  hand,  on  a  horse  sent  me  by  the  "  King's  Ear."  I  stated  what  I 
knew  of  the  Jews,  of  their  ignorance  of  their  religion, — that  the  mul- 
lahs were  quite  indignant  at  the  reported  death  of  Moorcroft  and  Tre- 
beck, — my  utter  disbelief  of  Saleh  Muhammed's  statement,  and  my 
full  confidence  that  I  should  return  in  peace. 

The  chairman,  Sir  Jeremiah  Bryant,  particularized  many  points 
connected  with  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly.  He  entered  on 
the  merits  of  the  Conolly  family  most  feelingly.  One  brother,  he 
stated,  had  died  a  prisoner  among  the  Affghauns  ;  another  had  been 
shot  through  the  heart  while  aide-de-camp  to  General  Sir  R.  Sale ;  the 
third  (Arthur)  was  the  object  of  their  present  solicitude.  The  Journal 
of  Captain  Conolly  was  before  the  public.  He  had  himself  seen  Wolff 
and  Conolly  together  in  1832  at  Cawnpore,  in  a  controversy  which  Dr. 
Wolff  was  conducting  with  the  Muhammedan  doctors.  He  further 
stated,  in  conclusion,  his  conviction  that  I  was  eminently  fitted  for  the 
mission,  from  my  former  experience,  general  acquaintance  with 
Asiatic  countries,  and  strong  personal  attachment  to  Captain  Conolly. 
The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted — all  standing — to 
my  friend  Captain  Grover,  for  his  chivalric  and  high-spirited  devotion 
to  the  cause  ;  and  Captain  Grover,  in  returning  thanks,  said  that  the 
offer  of  entering  on  the  mission,  made  by  himself  personally,  was  only 
an  echo  of  the  general  sentiments  of  the  British  army,  numerous  offi- 
cers having  volunteered  to  undertake  the  mission — many  to  accom- 
pany Dr.  Wolff,  among  whom  he  could  name  Colonel  E.  Napier,  pro- 
vided they  were  permitted  to  go  as  British  officers. 

I  expedited  matters  with  all  possible  dispatch,  and  arrived  at  South- 
ampton for  embarkation  on  the  14th  of  October.  While  there,  the 
celebrated  authoress  of  the  Undying  One,  the  Honourable  Mrs.  Norton, 
came  forward  to  shake  hands  with  me,  and  to  wish  me  heartily  well 
on  my  journey.  I  was  much  gratified  by  this  lady's  attention,  and  I 
trust  to  win  many  regards  to  the  way  of  truth  by  those  singular  oir- 

10 


74  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

cumstances  in  which  it  has  pleased  the  Almighty  to  dispose  of  my  lot. 
I  was  also  visited  by  a  young  gentleman  of  high  birth  and  noble  family 
on  board  ship,  who  expressed  his  wish  to  accompany  me,  if  circum- 
stances had  permitted  him.  I  thank  God  that  he  did  not,  for  I  never 
should  wish  to  see  any  young  man  enter  Bokhara.  If  it  were  possible, 
in  the  present  state  of  the,  world,  to  conceive  scenes  that  would  justify 
to  the  full  the  awful  injunctions  in  Leviticus  against  the  Canaanitish 
nations,  they  are  certainly  enacted  in  that  atrocious  city. 

We  set  sail  in  the  Iberia  for  Gibraltar  on  October  14th,  1843. 

My  fellow. passengers  were  twenty-three  in  number,  and  among 
them  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Lady  Augusta  Paget,  and  her 
daughter.  The  first  day  her  ladyship  conversed  largely  with  me ;  on 
the  second  the  ominous  evils  of  a  sea  voyage  began  to  indicate  them- 
selves, and  her  ladyship  took  to  her  berth.  Doctor  Gilchrist,  the  super- 
intendent of  the  medical  board  at  Gibraltar,  also  an  old  acquaintance, 
was  on  board.  The  chief  engineer  of  the  Sultan,  Mr.  Haigh,  and  his 
lady  ;  they  were  both  of  the  Wesleyan  persuasion,  and  were  from 
Penzance,  in  Cornwall,  and  emphatically  assured  me  that  I  should 
meet  some  other  good  people  on  board.  I  must  not  omit,  also,  to  men- 
tion, among  my  other  companions,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richardson.  This 
gentleman,  a  most  good-natured  personage,  was  proceeding  to  Con- 
stantinople to  direct  the  building  of  the  British  Palace. 

My  previous  habits  made  me  support  the  voyage  better  than  my 
fellow-travellers.  I  walked  about  on  deck  without  a  hat,  and  every 
morning  had  sea  water  poured  over  me.  I  slept  on  the  sofa  in  the 
dining-room,  rarely  in  my  berth.  We  made  nine  miles  an  hour,  and 
arrived  off  Ushant  on  the  15th.  I  wrote  to  my  dear  wife  and  son  at 
this  period,  to  beg  them  to  pray  for  me,  and  that,  by  the  Lord's  will, 
I  trusted  that  we  should  again  be  soon  united  and  live  happily  together 
in  God ;  and  if  the  world  and  the  church  did  not  reward  me,  and  both 
had  neglected  much  worthier  beings,  still  to  keep  their  minds  fixed  on 
Christ.  That  Christ,  who  after  all  he  had  done  in  nineteen  centuries 
was  still  expected,  since  as  yet  the  heathen  are  not  given  to  him  for 
his  inheritance,  nor  the  utmost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession. 

We  were  off  Ushant  on  the  15th,  as  I  observed ;  and  on  Sunday, 
the  16th,  my  poor  fellow-passengers  were  too  ill  to  admit  of  my  perform- 
ing divine  service,  and  matters  were  not  mended  when  we  slipped  into 
the  Bay  of  Biscay.  On  Monday  the  17th,  I  gave  a  lecture  to  the 
ship's  company,  and  at  6  P.M.  we  passed  Cape  Finisterre.  On  Tues- 
day the  17th,  I  lectured  again.  We  had  then  Cape  St.  Vincent  in 
sight.  On  the  19th,  when  off  Cadiz,  I  continued  my  lecture. 

On  the  20th,  early  in  the  morning,  we  entered  Gibraltar.     I  imme- 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  75 

diately  went  on  shore,  breakfasted  with  Dr.  Gilchrist,  and  then  called 
on  my  old  friend  Dr.  Burrow,  archdeacon  of  Gibraltar.  As  soon  as  I 
had  sent  in  my  name,  the  worthy  archdeacon  came  out  and  led  me 
into  his  drawing-room,  where  I  was  introduced  to  his  two  daughters, 
and  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Buchanan,  chaplain  to  the  forces;  and  I  met 
also  a  Mr.  Levy,  missionary  to  the  Jews  of  Gibraltar.  The  vener- 
able archdeacon  expressed  a  deep  interest  in  my  present  enterprise, 
and  immediately  introduced  me  to  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  Sir 
Robert  Wilson.  The  chivalrous  conduct  of  Sir  Robert  Wilson  in  de- 
livering Lav  alette  from  imprisonment  and  death,  and  the  interest  I  al- 
ways felt  in  Madame  Lavalette,  that  sweet  affectionate  woman,  ren- 
dered my  interview  with  him  most  pleasing.  I  could  have  wished 
that  circumstances  had  permitted  Sir  Robert  to  have  accompanied  me 
to  Bokhara.  Were  the  whole  lives  of  some  men  recounted,  how  far 
more  wonderful  would  they  appear  than  any  romance.  The  governor 
and  his  daughter  received  me  in  a  most  cordial  manner,  and  expressed 
their  deep  sympathy  in  my  present  mission.  I  was  also  introduced  to 
Major  Wilbraham,  the  secretary,  who  had  been  in  Persia,  and  knew 
Colonel  Stoddart.  Major  Wilbraham  was  inclined  to  believe  the  re- 
port of  Saleh  Muhammed  :  however,  he  admitted  that  it  would  be  well 
to  come  to  a  certainty. 

The  Bishop  of  Gibraltar  had  left  Gibraltar  a  few  weeks  ago,  and 
returned  to  Malta.  The  Church  of  England  could  not  have  sent  a 
better  man  to  the  Mediterranean  than  Dr.  Tomlinson :  he  combines 
in  his  person  every  requisite  for  a  bishop  in  the  Levant.  Dr.  Tom- 
linson does  not  sit  down  in  one  place,  and  make  mere  excursions  of 
amusement :  he  is  quickly  observed  at  Athens,  consecrating  a  church 
there,  again  at  Constantinople,  after  that  at  Oporto,  and  soon  at  Gi- 
braltar. An  English  bishop  in  the  Levant  ought  to  be  acquainted 
thoroughly  with  the  literature  of  his  own  country,  and  be  master  of 
the  French  and  Italian,  and  also  know  something  at  least  of  the  Arabic 
literature ;  now  Dr.  Tomlinson  is  master  of  all  these  languages,  with 
which  qualities  he  unites  the  most  essential  of  all  qualities,  i.  e.  PIETY. 

It  was  very  fortunate  that  the  Lord  Bishop  of  London  had,  previous 
to  his  proposing  to  send  a  bishop  to  the  Mediterranean,  held  a  conver- 
sation with  the  Rev.  C.  Schlienz,  missionary  to  the  Church  Missionary 
Society,  who,  being  well  acquainted  with  the  Oriental  languages,  and 
also  the  customs  and  manners  of  the  East,  was  able  to  suggest  meas- 
ures according  to  which  the  bishops  in  England  seem  to  have  acted 
in  sending  out  that  excellent  prelate,  Dr.  Tomlinson,  to  Malta.  It 
would  be  highly  advisable  to  send  Dr.  Tomlinson  to  Chaldea,  in  order 
to  investigate  the  present  state  of  the  Nestorians,  and  to  afford  them 


76  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

relief;  or,  should  Dr.  Tomlinson  not  have  time,  it  would  be  well  to 
send  there  the  Rev.  George  Williams,  Fellow  of  King's  College,  Cam- 
bridge, who  has  not  only  travelled  in  Palestine,  but  has  taken  trouble 
to  learn  the  language.  It  is  quite  distressing  to  see  how  often  a  person 
sets  out  for  the  East  on  a  journey  of  pleasure,  without  knowing  one 
single  word  of  the  language,  and  then  comes  back,  after  a  few  months, 
(when  he  could  only  have  observed  that  the  Eastern  clergy  wear 
beards,)  and  writes  a  nonsensical  pamphlet,  pompously  styling  it,  The 
State  of  the  Eastern  Churches. 

We  left  Gibraltar  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day  as  our  arrival ; 
the  excellent  Archdeacon  Burrow  wished  me  to  stay  with  him  one  or 
two  months.  He  said  that  nobody  agreed  better  with  him  than  myself 
in  all  his  opinions.  Mr.  James  Potts,  from  Dublin,  and  Messrs.  George 
and  Thomas  Bourne,  from  Liverpool,  brothers-in-law  to  my  friend  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Brandreth,  embarked  on  board  the  Iberia  for  Constantinople. 
On  the  21st  of  October  I  continued  my  lectures  to  the  passengers ; 
Sunday,  the  22nd,  I  read  divine  service  and  preached ;  Monday,  the 
23rd,  I  lectured  again;  Tuesday,  the  24th,  we  were  off  Tunis;  Wed- 
nesday, the  25th,  we  sailed  with  contrary  wind,  and  passed,  early  in 
the  morning,  the  island  of  Zemra.  We  had  before  us  the  island  called 
Pantaleria,  thickly  inhabited — the  Botany  Bay  of  Naples.  I  had  a  con- 
versation with  several  travellers  on  the  necessity  of  faith  and  obedience, 
and  on  the  personal  reign  of  Christ,  and  the  restoration  of  the  Jews. 

At  ten  in  the  morning  of  the  26th  October  we  reached  Malta.  On 
our  entry  into  the  harbour,  a  servant  of  Mr.  Hunter  came  on  board 
to  fetch  the  lad  Abbot,  from  Smyrna,  who  was  passenger  on  board  the 
Iberia,  from  London,  on  his  way  to  Smyrna,  but  as  his  father,  a  mer- 
chant at  Smyrna,  was  performing  quarantine  at  Malta,  Mr.  Hunter 
was  commissioned  to  take  care  of  the  boy.  I  therefore  wanted  to  go 
with  Hunter's  servant,  first  of  all  to  Mr.  Hunter,  as  I  had  a  letter  for 
that  gentleman  from  the  house  of  Baring,  but  the  boats  were  in  such 
crowds  near  the  Iberia,  that  one  of  the  active  boatmen  took  hold  of 
one  of  my  feet  and  dragged  me  into  a  boat  different  from  that  in  which 
Abbot  was  rowing  off.  Scarcely  had  I  arrived  on  shore,  when  num- 
bers of  Maltese  exclaimed,  "  Come  sta  Signore  ?  come  sta  la  Signora 
Georgiana."  It  was  quite  touching.  As  I  passed  Mrs.  Kilburn's 
shop,  I  went  first  of  all  to  her,  and  she  exclaimed,  "  Who  ever  thought 
that  I  should  see  you  again  ?  how  is  Lady  Georgiana,  and  how  is 
Drummond  (my  son)  ?  You  are  going  on  a  glorious  errand !"  I 
inquired  her  age :  "  How  old  are  you,  Mrs.  Kilburn  ?"  "  Seventy- 
six.3'  I  replied,  "You  may  live  twenty  years  more  !  Good  bye." 

I  then  hastened  to  the  governor.     The  first  person  I  met  was  the  old 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  77 

servant  of  Sir  Frederic  Ponsonby ;  he  delivered  my  card  to  Captain 
Tidy,  aid-de-camp  to  the  governor.  Captain  Tidy  exclaimed,  "  Oh, 
Doctor  Wolff,  your  arrival  was  expected ;  I  was  at  the  taking  of — (I 
forget  the  name  of  the  place) — together  with  Captain  Conolly."  Gen- 
eral Stuart  and  Lady  Stuart  shook  hands  most  cordially  with  me,  and 
invited  me  to  dine  with  them  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening ;  and 
as  the  captain  of  the  Iberia  determined  to  stay  till  midnight,  I  was  able 
to  accept  the  invitation  which  I  at  first  believed  was  impossible.  His 
Excellency  promised  me  every  assistance  in  his  power.  On  my  going 
out  again  from  the  general's  room,  the  servant  asked  me  whether  I 
had  seen  Lady  Emily  Ponsonby.  I  told  him  all  I  knew  about  her 
ladyship,  and  that  her  ladyship's  countenance  always  brightened  up 
when  I  mentioned  the  name  of  Malta  to  her  in  England. 

The  General  then  sent  an  orderly  with  me  to  the  Admiral,  Sir  Ed- 
ward Owen,  a  venerable  old  gentleman.  His  aid-de-camp,  Com- 
mander Bedford,  knew  me  in  former  times,  and  was  very  glad  to  see 
me,  and  on  announcing  me  to  the  good  Admiral,  he  immediately  asked 
me  to  breakfast  with  him.  He  had  already  received  a  letter  about 
me  from  the  Admiralty,  via  Marseilles,  and  regretted  that  he  had  not 
detained  the  Orestes,  which  sailed  two  days  before  my  arrival  for 
Constantinople,  but  he  told  me  that  I  would  arrive  sooner  in  the  Iberia 
than  by  the  Orestes,  as  the  latter  was  obliged  to  stop  several  days  at 
Corfu.  He  gave  me  letters  for  Admiral  Walker  (Yavar  Pasha),  at 
Constantinople ;  for  the  Captain  of  the  Devastation,  at  Constantinople  ; 
for  Captain  Stirling,  of  the  Indus,  and  Sir  Edward  Lyons,  at  Athens. 
He  then  placed  his  carriage  at  my  disposal. 

I  then  went  first  of  all  to  Dr.  Tomlinson  ;  the  person  who  opened 
the  door  was  Carlo,  the  servant  of  Mr.  Schlienz,  now  servant  to  the 
Bishop  of  Gibraltar.  His  lordship  received  me  with  great  kindness, 
and  his  sister  told  me  that  she  knew  Lady  Georgiana  and  Lady  Ma- 
ria West,  and  inquired  very  kindly  after  both.  His  lordship  then  en- 
tered most  frankly  with  me  into  the  state  of  missions.  His  lordship 
gave  me  letters  for  the  English  clergy  at  Athens ;  for  Doctors  Ben- 
nett and  Southgate,  at  Constantinople ;  and  a  commendatory  letter 
from  his  lordship  to  all  the  bishops  and  priests  in  the  East.  I  here 
append  it. 

Reverend  and  dear  Sir,  Malta,  October  26,  1843. 

I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  about  to  proceed  immediately  to  ascertain  the 
fate  of  poor  Colonel  Stoddart  and  his  fellow  sufferer  in  Bokhara.  I  hope  that  you 
may  be  prospered  on  your  way,  and  that,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  you  will  succeed 
in  your  object.  It  is  melancholy  to  think  of  such  men  being  left  without  assistance, 
if  they  are  still  alive.  But  at  all  events,  your  journey  must  be  productive  of  good. 


78  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

You  will  hardly  need  any  introduction  in  the  countries  to  which  you  are  going ;  but 
you  are  quite  at  liberty  to  show  this  letter,  wherever  it  may  be  of  service  to  you.  I 
beg  you  will  commend  me  to  any  of  the  Oriental  Bishops  and  Clergy  of  my  ac- 
quaintance whom  you  may  meet  with  in  your  journies.  Praying  that  you  may  be 
preserved  by  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  God  from  all  the  dangers  of  the  way, 

I  remain,  dear  Sir, 

Your  faithful  servant  in  Christ, 

G.  GIBRALTAR. 

His  lordship  told  me  that  Mr.  Frere  was  very  anxious  to  see  me ; 
I  therefore  went  out  to  him  in  the  Pieta.  He  was  there  with  his  old 
servants  Beppo  and  another,  who  were  rejoiced  to  see  me.  I  was 
shown,  as  usually  in  former  times,  to  his  drawing  room  j  his  table 
was  covered  with  books,  and  memorials  from  poor  Maltese.  After  a 
while  my  dear  old  friend  entered  the  room  weeping  for  joy,  enquired 
after  my  wife  and  my  son  Henry  most  kindly,  and  talked  over  our  former 
intimacy.  His  speech  was  somewhat  feeble,  and  he  told  me  that  he  had 
had  at  Rome  an  attack  of  an  apoplectic  stroke,  but  his  memory  is  ex- 
ceedingly good.  I  stopped  with  him  about  an  hour,  and  he  was  sorry 
to  learn  from  me  that  I  was  sailing  off  the  same  day,  as  he  wanted  to 
invite  a  party  to  meet  me,  among  others  the  Governor,  the  Admiral 
and  Miss  Hamilton.  Befpre  I  left  him,  he  kindly  gave  me  an  order 
for  twenty-one  pounds,  on  Bell  and  Co.,  and  a  strong  letter  of  intro- 
duction to  Sir  Stratford  and  Lady  Canning.  I  then  took  my  leave  of 
the  good  old  man,  and  went  in  the  carriage  to  Miss  Hamilton. 

When  I  arrived  I  sent  in  my  card.  I  imagined  that  I  should  find 
a  lady  bowed  down  by  age,  and  that  she  would  scarcely  remember 
me ;  but  she  came  running  to  meet  me,  looking  better  than  she  ever 
did  when  I  saw  her  eight  years  ago.  "  I  never  thought  to  see  you 
again,"  she  exclaimed ;  "  now  will  you  eat  a  good  beef-steak  with 
me,  and  drink  the  best  glass  of  ale  you  ever  tasted  in  your  life,  and 
pears  which  Mr.  Frere  sent  me  from  his  garden  only  yesterday."  So 
I  sat  down,  and  then  I  said,  "  I  saw  your  sister,  Lady  George  Sey- 
mour, only  last  July,  at  Lady  Emily  Ponsonby's,  when  your  sister 
complained  that  you  had  entirely  given  up  your  relations,  and  that 
you  never  write  to  them."  She  replied,  "  Poor  people,  writing  is 
such  a  great  trouble  to  me,  but  I  threaten  them  after  all  with  a  visit 
of  mine,  one  of  these  days :  I  am  now  seventy-seven  years  of  age,  as 
well  as  ever  ;  there  is  no  such  a  place  as  Malta."  "  I  have  learnt 
that  you  have  ten  cows."  "  Yes,  I  have  a  little  farm,  and  here  you 
see  my  garden,  the  whole  of  which  does  not  cost  me  thirty-two 
pounds  per  annum."  And  this  lady  lives  in  a  most  palace-like  house 
in  Floriana  for  thirty-two  pounds  per  annum.  I  reminded  her  of  hav- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  79 

ing  promised  me  a  kiss  when  I  came  back  from  my  journey.  She  re- 
plied,  that  I  could  not  expect  such  a  thing  from  such  a  young  girl  as 
herself.  She  reminded  me  of  our  evening  party  at  Miss  Leech's, 
where  we  met  the  American  who  chewed  the  cud,  but  it  was  still  to 
be  ascertained  whether  he  divided  the  hoof  or  not.  She  asked  very 
particularly  about  my  son,  and  also  Lady  Emily  Ponsonby  and  her 
children,  and  everything  about  my  wife. 

After  this  pleasant  chat  with  a  delightful  old  acquaintance,  I  next 
called  on  Mr.  Christian,  whose  son  I  found  much  grown,  and  who 
wished  me  to  go  with  him  to  his  country  house,  but  I  had  no  time  for 
it.  He  inquired  after  all  my  friends,  and  after  Lady  Emily  Pon- 
sonby. I  then  left  him,  and  on  leaving  his  house  I  met  Paolo,  my  old 
cook,  out  of  service. 

I  then  went  to  visit  Mr.  Weiss,  who  was  quite  overjoyed  to  see  me ; 
he  is  no  longer  connected  with  the  Church  Missionary  Society. 

On  my  returning  to  the  palace  of  the  Governor  I  met  with  Arch- 
deacon Le  Mesurier,  who  expressed  great  joy  in  seeing  me.  He  looks 
as  well  as  ever,  and  is  as  stout  and  active  as  ever.  There  must  be 
something  in  the  climate  of  Malta  which  makes  people  younger  rather 
than  older. 

At  seven  o'clock  I  came  to  the  Governor,  when  he  introduced  me  to 
Lady  Stuart  and  to  his  daughters ;  and  I  met  at  table  my  old  friend 
Sir  Hector  Greig.  I  also  met  with  Colonel  Edward,  Captain  Tidy, 
and  some  ladies.  Sir  Hector  wished  me  to  come  back  to  Malta,  and 
offered  me  a  bed  in  his  house,  but  I  could  not  accept  it.  I  returned  to 
the  Iberia  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night;  and  as  the  Vernon  was  lying 
opposite,  which  was  commanded  by  Captain  William  Walpole,  I  went 
on  board  of  her,  but  Captain  Walpole  was  on  shore.  I  left  a  few  lines 
with  him  for  friends  at  home. 

We  left  Malta  that  night,  the  26th,  and  experienced  on  the  27th  hot 
but  excellent  weather ;  our  rate  nine  knots  per  hour  on  to  Athens. 
We  reached  the  harbour  of  the  Piraeus  on  the  29th  of  October,  at 
three  in  the  afternoon.  On  my  arrival  I  went  on  board  the  Indus, 
which  was  then  in  the  Piraeus,  where  I  saw  Sir  James  Stirling,  the 
commodore  of  the  British  navy  in  the  Archipelago,  and  accepted  his 
polite  invitation  to  breakfast.  I  then  proceeded  to  Athens,  to  see  Sir 
E.  Lyons,  and  not  finding  him  at  home  called  on  the  English  chaplain 
at  Athens,  the  Rev.  H.  D.  Leeves.  In  company  with  this  gentleman — 
who  received  me  with  the  greatest  cordiality — and  his  daughters,  I 
proceeded  to  the  Acropolis ;  and  on  the  Areopagus,  where  St.  Paul 
preached,  I  read  Acts  xvii.,  "  Ye  men  of  Athens,"  &c. 

During  my  stay  with,  Mr.  Leeves  I  saw  Jonas  King,  my  old  fellow. 


80  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

tra\£ller,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin,  American  missionaries,  and  Con- 
stantinos,  one  of  the  Greeks  whom  I  had  sent  to  England  in  the  year 
1822  from  Cyprus,  and  who  has  now  a  flourishing  school  at  Athens. 
The  father  of  Constantinos  was  beheaded  in  1822,  during  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  I  had  saved  him  and  three  other  boys  from  slavery,  and 
despatched  them  to  England ;  one  of  them,  Paolo  Pierides,  is  now  a 
physician  in  Scotland,  and  his  brother  a  schoolmaster  at  Larnica. 

On  my  return  home  from  the  house  of  my  old  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Leeves,  I  found  a  note  from  Sir  E.  Lyons,  inviting  me  to  breakfast 
with  him  on  the  following  morning  at  eight  o'clpck.  I  did  so,  and  as 
Sir  E.  Lyons  expressed  a  desire  that  I  should  be  introduced  to  King 
Otho  and  her  Majesty  the  Queen,  and  as  I  was  glad  of  the  opportunity, 
it  was  arranged.  Mr.  Leeves,  pursuant  to  Sir  E.  Lyons'  request, 
introduced  me  to  Dr.  Rueser,  a  Bavarian,  who  immediately  conducted 
me  to  the  Rev.  Father  Arnott,  the  king's  confessor.  It  is  contrary  to 
etiquette  for  the  ambassador  to  introduce  under  two  days'  notice,  which 
my  stay  did  not  permit  me  to  give.  Father  Arnott,  on  my  introduction 
to  him,  told  me  that  he  had  seen  letters  of  mine  written  to  Dumreicher 
at  Alexandria.  They  expressed  great  joy  that  they  had  made  my 
personal  acquaintance.  They  introduced  me  to  a  lady  in  waiting  to 
Her  Majesty,  who  was  born  two  miles  distant  from  Weilersbach,  my 
native  place  ;  we  conversed  a  great  deal  together,  and  laughed  much 
about  several  subjects.  They  gave  notice,  first  of  all,  to  Count  Ma- 
vromichale,  the  chamberlain,  who  announced  me  to  His  Majesty,  who 
immediately  ordered  him  to  bring  me  to  his  room.  His  Majesty  is  a 
tall,  meagre-looking  gentleman,  dressed  in  Greek  costume.  I  made  a 
profound  bow,  and  His  Majesty  immediately  said,  "You  have  made, 
and  are  now  making,  a  great  journey  for  a  benevolent  purpose." 

W.  I  had  the  great  honour  of  being  introduced  to  Your  Majesty's 
Royal  Father  at  Rome. 

King  Otho.  In  what  year  ? 

W.  In  the  year  1818,  when  he  was  accompanied  by  Dr.  Ringseis 
and  Counts  Seinsheim  and  Rechberg. 

K.  What  nations  have  you  visited  and  conversed  with  ? 

W.  Jews,  Muhammedans,  Chaldeans,  Yeseede,  Syrians,  Sabeans, 
Persians,  &c. 

K.  In  what  state  are  the  Chaldean  and  Armenian  churches,  what 
are  their  tenets,  and  does  the  Armenian  church  recognise  a  head  of 
its  religion  like  the  Pope  of  Rome  ? 

W.  The  Patriarch  of  Ech-Miazin,  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Ararat,  has 
the  title  of  Katokhikos.  i.  e.  Catholicus,  and  he  alone  has  the  power  of 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  81 

consecrating  bishops,  and  sending  them  over  all  the  countries  where 
Armenians  are  to  be  found. 

K.  Whose  descendants  are  the  Armenians  ?  .  - 

W.  According  to  Armenian  historians,  they  are  the  descendants  of 
Hayk  the  brother  of  Belus,  one  of  the  builders  of  the  Tower  of 
Babylon. 

K.  Have  the  Armenians  a  literature  ? 

W.  Yes ;  in  the  fifth  century  the  great  Mesrob  translated  the  Bible 
into  the  Armenian  tongue ;  Moses  Vocazer,  Chorinazi,  the  historian, 
and  Isaac,  are  celebrated  writers  among  the  Armenians.  In  the 
eleventh  century  they  had  the  great  patriarch  Nerses  Shnor-Haale, 
and  Archbishop  Nerses  Lampronazi.  At  present  they  have  very 
clever  men  at  St.  Lazarus  in  Venice,  as  an  instance  I  may  mention 
Father  Pasquale  Aucher ;  and  at  Calcutta,  Hoannes  Avdal. 

After  having  given  His  Majesty  the  detail  of  their  tenets,  he  asked 
me  the  reasons  which  induced  me  to  believe  that  Colonel  Stoddart  and 
Captain  Conolly  were  alive.  I  gave  him  my  reasons,  and  told  him 
that  I  hoped  to  find  also  Lieutenant  Steer  and  Dr.  Balfour,  who  were 
made  prisoners  in  the  war  of  AfFghanistaun.  His  Majesty  asked  me 
where  I  had  left  Lady  Georgiana  and  my  family,  and  how  many  chil- 
dren I  had.  I  satisfied  His  Majesty  also  on  this  subject.  The  con- 
versation  lasted  a  whole  hour. 

I  was  then  introduced  to  Madame  Blosco,  nee  Comtesse  de  Witzleben, 
a  niece  of  Count  Stolberg,  with  whom  I  talked  about  her  uncle ;  she 
announced  me  to  Her  Majesty,  who  immediately  ordered  me  to  appear 
before  her.  She  is  really  a  most  beautiful  and  lovely  Queen: — the 
very  beau  ideal  of  a  Queen.  When  I  approached  her  for  the  purpose 
of  kissing  her  lovely  hands,  she  hastened  to  put  off  one  of  her  gloves, 
and  I  then  -kissed  it. 

Queen.  What  travels  you  have  made  !     What  astonishing  travels! 

W.  In  order  to  obtain  a  great  object,  one  must  make  great  exer- 
tions. 

Q.  Have  you  found  the  Jews  very  much  opposed  ? 

W.  Sometimes ;  but  they  generally  treated  me  with  great  polite, 
ness. 

Q.  Have  you  often  been  attacked  in  the  road  ? 

W.  I  was  a  slave  ! 

Q.  You  must  have  a  great  deal  of  courage. 

W.  I  am  mostly  afraid  of  the  sea,  for  there  is  a  proverb  among 
the  Jews  in  Germany,  that  the  water  has  no  beams. 

Her  Majesty  laughed,  and  I  observed,  "  Your  Majesty  thinks  now, 

11 


82  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

that  I,  after  all,  betray  my  descent  from  the  Jews  by  that  observation, 
for  the  Jews  do  not  like  the  sea." 

Q.  Have  many  of  the  Armenians  and  Chaldeans  joined  the  church 
of  Rome  ? 

W.  About  60,000  Armenians  and  3,000  Chaldeans  have  joined 
the  church  of  Rome. 

Q.  What  religion  have  the  Armenians  ? 

W.  They  are  Monophysites*,  but  are  a  most  interesting  and  in- 
quiring people. 

Q.  What  kind  of  people  are  the  Chaldeans  ? 

W.  They  live  at  Mosul,  Diarbekir,  Ooroomia,  Salmast,  and  in  the 
mountains  of  Kurdistaun.  They  are  beyond  doubt  descendants  of 
the  Jews,  converted  to  Christianity,  for  they  call  themselves  the 
"  children  of  Israel."  They  have  their  patriarch,  Mar  Shemaan  by 
name,  who  pretends  to  be  a  lineal  descendant  of  St.  Peter.  Some 
thousands  of  them  have  been  converted  to  the  church  of  Rome,  espe- 
cially those  residing  at*  Mosul,  and  in  the  village  called  Alkush,  the 
birth-place  of  Nahum  the  prophet,  and  also  the  place  where  he  was 
buried. 

Q.  Are  there  more  Roman  Catholics  or  Protestant  missionaries  ? 

W.  Roman  Catholics. 

Q.  Who  have  made  most  converts  ? 

W.  The  Roman  Catholics ;  but  the  Protestants  have  of  late  had 
very  considerable  success  in  India. 

Q.  What  an  enthusiastic  and  sincere  man  you  are ;  I  admire  your 
zeal.  Do  you  not  fear  going  now  to  Bokhara  ? 

W.  I  am  carried  on  by  the  object. 

Q.  It  would  be  well  if  all  the  churches  were  united  together. 

W.  This  is  much  to  be  prayed  for,  but  this  union  will  only  be 
realized  at  the  second  coming  of  our  Lord. 

Q.  Do  you  expect  that  this  will  soon  happen  ? 

W.  Yes,  I  do ;  but  I  intend  that  if  I  should  preach  the  gospel 
again  in  Russia,  not  to  act  under  the  Lutheran  consistory,  but  under  the 
Russian  synod,  and  have  my  converts  baptized  in  the  Russian  church. 

Q.  This  is  well  meant,  but  I  doubt  whether  the  Russian  synod 
would  agree  to  it. 

*  A  sect  that  believes  that  the  human  nature  of  our  Lord  has  been  absorbed  into 
the  divine,  and  so  that  both  natures  are  one  nature  ;  contrary  to  the  beautiful  dis- 
tinction in  the  Nicene  and  Athanasian  Creeds,  and  the  close  declaration  of  the 
Second  Article  of  our  Church,  "  That  two  whole  and  perfect  natures,  that  is  to  say, 
the  Godhead  and  the  Manhood,  were  joined  together  in  one  person,  never  to  be 
divided,  whereof  is  one  Christ,  very  God  and  very  man." 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  83 

W.  I  think  that  they  would,  for  this  was  the  contention  with  the 
Scotch  missionaries  at  Astrachan,  for  they  were  not  allowed  to  carry 
on  their  mission,  as  they  refused  to  submit  to  having  their  converts 
baptized  by  the  Russians. 

Q.  Have  you  had  much  success  in  your  mission  ? 

W.  I  was  the  first  who  went  to  Jerusalem  to  preach  the  gospel 
there  to  the  Jews,  at  a  time  when  the  war  was  raging  between  Greece 
and  Turkey,  and  my  mission  there  excited  the  attention  of  the  public 
in  England  to  the  importance  of  a  mission  at  Jerusalem.  The  Jews 
at  Jerusalem  began  first  to  inquire,  after  my  arrival,  into  the  merits  of 
the  Christian  religion,  induced  by  my  conversations  with  them. 
Through  my  mission  at  Jerusalem,  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem,  Sichem, 
Aleppo,  and  Bagdad,  directed  their  attention  to  the  subject  of  Christi- 
anity. I  also  was  the  first  who  made  the  Jews,  resident  in  Persia, 
Khorassaun,  the  whole  country  of  Bokhara,  Affghanistaun,  the  deserts 
of  Turkistaun,  Khokand,  and  Chinese  Tartary,  acquainted  with  the 
New  Testament,  and  thus  the  Mussulmans  and  Jews  at  Constantinople 
were  converted  through  my  instrumentality ;  and  I  baptized  Jews  in 
Egypt,  Jaffa,  Sanaa,  Yemen,  and  Bokhara.  I  was  the  first  who 
brought  the  subject  of  the  Jews  before  the  universities  of  Oxford, 
Leyden,  and  Utrecht,  and  before  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  of 
America. 

The  conversation  then  turned  to  different  other  subjects,  and  then 
Her  Majesty  most  graciously  took  leave,  and  I  bowed  and  went  away. 
The  conversation  lasted  one  hour.  Madame  Blosco  then  told  me  that 
Her  Majesty  was  particularly  delighted  with  my  interview  with  her. 

I  then  went  with  Mr.  Leeves  and  Mr.  King  to  see  the  president  of 
the  Greek  Senate,  Bishop  Neophy tos,  for  the  synod  is  composed  of  five 
bishops.  J  am  sorry  to  learn  that  the  Greek  church  in  Greece  is  no 
longer  under  the  Patriarch  of  Constantinople.  After  my  visits  were 
over,  I  dmed  at  Mr.  Leeves',  and  then  said  Good  bye,  and  Mr.  Leeves 
and  Mr.  King  went  with  me  to  accompany  me  on  board  the  Iberia, 
but  it  was  too  late,  for  the  Iberia  had  already  sailed  for  Syra  ;  I 
therefore  went  on  board  Her  Majesty's  ship  Indus,  and  Messrs. 
Leeves  and  King  went  immediately  to  Sir  E.  Lyons',  where  Sir 
James  Stirling,  the  captain  of  the  Indus,  was  at  dinner,  and  Lieuten- 
ant Leicester,  of  the  Indus,  also  went  on  shore  to  report  my  missing 
the  Iberia  to  Sir  James.  Sir  James  Stirling  immediately  returned  to 
the  Indus,  and  ordered  Captain  Ommaney,  of  the  steamer  Vesuvius, 
to  prepare  immediately  for  bringing  me  as  far  as  Syra,  where  the 
Iberia  was  to  stay  twelve  hours ;  and  at  eleven  o'clock  of  the  31st 
we  overtook  most  fortunately  the  Iberia,  where  I  was  hailed  with 


84  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

cheers  by  the  whole  ship's  crew  and  passengers,  and  then  at  four 
o'clock  we  sailed  for  Smyrna,  where  we  arrived  on  the  1st  of  Novem- 
ber. We  only  stopped  two  hours,  during  which  time  I  saw  Temple, 
the  American  missionary,  and  Mr.  Calhoun,  the  agent  of  the  Ameri- 
can Bible  Society ;  Lewis  and  Meredith  were  in  the  country.  On 
the  2nd  of  November  I  arrived  in  the  Dardanelles.  I  confess  that  I 
was  rather  disappointed  with  the  strength  of  the  fortifications,  and  I 
really  believe  that  Gibraltar  would  be  far  more  difficult  to  be  taken 
than  the  Dardanelles.  Military  men  would  quote  to  me,  "  Ne  sutor 
ultra  crepidam" — "  Don't  travel  beyond  Bokhara."  I  freely  confess 
I  should  find  some  little  difficulty  in  taking  either. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Constantinople.  Interview  with  Sir  Stratford  Canning.  Doubtful  reports  at  Con- 
stantinople about  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  Interview  with  the  Charge"  d' Affaires  of 
Naples  relative  to  Signor  Naselli,  who  had  visited  Bokhara.  Nature  of  Evidence 
as  to  the  Existence  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  procured  at  Constantinople.  Official 
Papers  from  the  Sultan,  the  Sheikh  Islam,  and  others.  Visits  to  Count  Sturmer. 
Attempts  made  by  certain  Parties  to  deter  Dr.  Wolff  from  proceeding  to  Bokhara. 
Kindness  of  Sir  Stratford  Canning  ;  His  Excellency  pays  all  Dr.  Wolff's  Expenses 
to  Trebizond.  High  Opinion  entertained  by  all  Parties  of  Captain  Grover. 
Embarkation  for  Trebizond. 

ON  the  3rd  of  November  I  arrived  in  the  harbour  of  Constantino, 
pie.  I  immediately  reported  my  arrival  to  the  Rev.  Horatio  South- 
gate,  the  American  episcopal  missionary,  for  whom  I  had  a  letter  from 
the  Bishop  of  Gibraltar.  I  was  received  very  cordially  by  him  and 
his  wife ;  they  have  two  very  nice  children,  and  Mrs.  Southgate  is  a 
very  charming  lady.  I  immediately  sat  down  and  wrote  to  Sir  Strat- 
ford Canning,  who  lives  now  at  Buyukdere  (Great  Valley),  a  large 
village  on  the  Bosphorus,  twelve  miles  from  Constantinople,  and  an- 
nounced to  His  Excellency  my  arrival  at  Constantinople.  I  received 
the  next  day  from  him  an  answer,  which  I  subjoin  verbatim,  to  show 
the  extreme  kindness  of  our  distinguished  ambassador : 

Dear  Sir,  Buyukdere,  Nov.  3,  1843. 

I  am  happy  to  hear  of  your  arrival,  and  hope  to  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
you  here  whenever  it  may  suit  your  convenience  to  come.  Will  you  dine  here  on 
Sunday  or  Saturday  ?  We  dine  at  half-past  six.  I  cannot  offer  you  a  bed  in  the 
house,  but  there  is  a  respectable  inn  at  no  great  distance ;  or  if  you  prefer  returning 
to  Pera  at  night,  there  is  at  present  a  splendid  moon. 

With  respect  to  your  letters,  I  had  applied  for  them  before  your  arrival,  and  I 
think  you  had  better  see  Mr.  Frederick  Pisani,  the  first  interpreter  of  this  embassy, 
and  inform  him  more  particularly  of  your  wishes. 

On  the  subject  of  the  steamer  I  am  less  at  liberty  to  act  as  you  desire.  The 
vessel  is  expected  every  day  to  move  in  a  different  direction  from  yours,  and  before 
she  is  free  you  will  probably  have  embarked  in  one  of  the  weekly  boats  to  Trebizond. 
I  return  you  the  letters  you  inclosed  for  my  perusal.  I  beg  you  will  believe  me, 
dear  Sir, 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

STRATFORD  CANNING. 

His  Excellency  also  gave  permission  to  Mr.  Southgate  to  allow  me 
to  preach  in  the  chapel,  on  Sunday  the  12th  of  November.  On  the 


86  NARRATIVE   OF   THE    MISSION 

5th  of  November  I  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Leeves,  of  Athens,  of 
the  following  gratifying  contents  : 

My  dear  Mr.  Wolff,  Athens,  Oct.  31,  1843. 

I  take  advantage  of  the  French  steamer  of  to-day  to  do  what  I  wished  to 
have  done  last  night  by  Sir  James  Stirling,  but  had  not  time  ;  namely,  to  write  you 
a  line.  You  will  remember  the  Greek  proverb  I  quoted  to  you  in  the  boat  of  the 
Indus  last  night — "  Every  hindrance  is  for  good."  So  I  trust  it  has  proved  now  ; 
for  your  misfortune  of  last  night  has  called  forth  many  expressions  of  kindness  and 
sympathy  in  your  honourable  and  benevolent  mission.  When  we  got  up  to  Sir 
Edmund  Lyons'  house  last  night,  the  first  movement  of  Sir  James  Stirling's  heart 
upon  hearing  this  mishap  was,  "  We  must  not  let  Mr.  Wolff's  funds  be  affected  by 
this  ;  we  must  raise  a  purse  among  ourselves  to  pay  his  passage  in  the  French 
steamer."  And  when  Sir  Edmund  Lyons,  who  was  then  out  of  the  room,  returned, 
he  immediately  closed  with  the  idea  of  sending  you  on  in  the  Vesuvius,  and  the 
thing  had  been  fully  settled  between  himself  and  Sir  James  Stirling  before  Lieu- 
tenant Leycester  came  up  from  the  ship  to  make  his  regular  report  to  his  captain. 

I  hope  this  may  prove  an  omen  for  good  in  reference  to  your  mission,  and  that 
God  will  open  the  hearts  of  all  men,  Englishmen  and  Greeks,  Turks  and  Persians, 
Curds  and  Bokharians,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  to  provide  facilities  for  its  success,  and  that 
many  good  results  may  flow  from  it,  direct  and  indirect.  I  reckon,  among  one  of  its 
good  results,  that  I  and  all  my  family  have  renewed  our  acquaintance  with  Joseph 
Wolff,  and  we  shall,  I  trust,  remember  you  in  our  prayers. 

Do  the  same  by  us,  and  accept  the  kind  regards  of  all  the  party,  both  kissed  and 
unkissed. 

Would  you  not  let  us  have  a  line  from  you  sometimes  ?  It  would  be  interesting 
to  all  here  ;  and  among  others,  I  have  no  doubt,  to  the  King  and  Queen,  who  were 
pleased  with  their  interview  with  you.  And  now  God  bless  you,  and  prosper  abun- 
dantly your  errand,  and  restore  you  in  safety  to  your  wife  and  son,  to  your  adopted 
country  and  church. 

Yours  affectionately, 

H.  D.  LEVEES. 

Nothing  could  be  more  kind  and  prompt  than  Sir  Edmund  was  in  putting  the 
Vesuvius  at  your  disposal. 

November  the  4th,  Mr.  Schauffler,  the  missionary  of  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  at  Constantinople  for 
the  Conversion  of  the  Jews,  whom  I  had  sent  to  America  seventeen 
years  ago,  called  on  me,  and  soon  after  Mr.  Goodell,  and  welcomed 
me  very  affectionately. 

November  the  5th,  being  Sunday,  I  went  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  South- 
gate  to  church,  and  was  clerk  to  Mr.  Southgate.  At  three  o'clock  I 
hired  an  ardba  (Turkish  cart),  and  went  out  to  Buyukdere  to  Sir 
Stratford  Canning,  by  whom,  and  Lady  Canning,  I  was  received  in 
the  kindest  way  possible,  as  also  by  Lord  Napier  and  the  rest  of  the 
attaches  of  the  British  embassy ;  and  there  I  also  met  with  Princess 
Mavrocordato.  The  general  opinion  was,  that  the  fate  of  Colonel 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  87 

Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  was  very  uncertain.  There  was  here 
a  Russian  gentleman  who  had  acquaintances  at  Khiva,  and  who 
seemed  to  be  inclined  to  believe  the  story  of  their  death,  but  there 
were  also  people  from  Bokhara  at  Constantinople,  who  related  that 
there  were  two  Englishmen  at  Bokhara,  one  tall,  and  another  short 
and  stout ;  and  that  the  latter  was  kept  in  custody  by  a  keeper  of  the 
mosque  outside  the  city  of  Bokhara.  The  Ambassador,  however,  who 
has  suspended  his  judgment  on  the  subject,  has  advised  me  not  to  call 
on  the  Bokharians  until  he  has  made  more  inquiries  about  them.  Af- 
ter dinner,  Sir  Stratford  Canning  asked  me  to  expound  and  read  pray, 
ers.  I  left  His  Excellency  at  twelve  o'clock  at  midnight,  after  which 
he  ordered  his  boatman  to  bring  me  on  board  the  Devastation,  for 
Captain  Robinson,  commanding  the  Devastation,  to  whom  I  had  a  let- 
ter from  Admiral  Sir  E.  Owen,  was  kind  enough  to  invite  me  to  sleep 
on  board  the  steamer.  Captain  Robinson  is  a  most  amiable  and  pious 
gentleman. 

On  the  6th  I  called  on  Dr.  Bennett,  the  chaplain  of  the  embassy, 
who  went  immediately  with  me  to  Captain  Walker,  who  is  Admiral 
of  the  Turkish  fleet,  and  has  the  title,  Yavar  Pasha.  He  knew  me 
already  in  London,  and  promised  me  every  assistance  in  his  power. 
He  is  a  very  modest  and  delightful  man,  and  his  wife  is  a  most  excel- 
lent  and  amiable  lady.  He  had  no  carriage  to  offer  me  to  bring  me 
back  to  Pera,  where  I  lived  with  Mr.  Southgate,  but  he  offered  me  a 
horse  ;  but  as  I  was  afraid  to  mount  a  horse,  I  preferred  hiring  a  cart 
dragged  by  oxen,  and  returned  thus  to  Constantinople.  On  coming 
back  to  Southgate,  I  learnt  that  Mr.  Brown,  the  American  Charge 
d'Affaires,  had  called  on  me,  and  wished  to  inform  me  that  the  Nea- 
politan Charge  d'Affaires  desired  to  know  when  he  could  call  on  me 
in  order  to  speak  with  me  about  Signor  Naselli,  who  had  proceeded  to 
Bokhara,  and  his  fate  was  also  doubtful. 

I  forgot  to  mention,  that  Mr.  Frederick  Pisani,  the  first  interpreter 
to  the  British  embassy,  called  on  me  on  Sunday  last,  the  5th  of  No- 
vember, at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  told  me  that  the  de- 
spatches from  government  in  England  had  instructed  them  that  all  the 
necessary  documents,  just  as  I  desired  them,  should  be  procured  for 
me,  and  that  I  should  have  them  on  the  17th  of  November,  those  from 
the  Sullan  as  well  as  those  from  the  Sheikh  Islam,  that  he  had  already 
applied  for  them,  and  that  the  Turks  expressed  their  astonishment  at 
my  courage  and  determination. 

On  the  7th  of  November,  when  Sir  Stratford  Canning  was  in  his 
palace  at  Pera,  with  Lady  Canning  and  Lord  Napier,  I  had  a  confi- 
dential conversation  with  the  Ambassador  on  the  subject  of  Conolly 


88  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

and  Stoddart ;  all  I  can  say  about  it  is,  that  the  conversation  was  not 
discouraging.  He  again  invited  me  to  dine  with  him  the  week  follow- 
ing, and  to  expound  again  ;  he  also  promised  to  give  me  despatches  to 
Trebizond  and  Erzroom,  so  that  my  journey  to  Persia  will  cost  but 
little. 

At  this  period  I  was  visited  by  the  Charge  d'Affaires  of  the  King  of 
Naples,  who  informed  me  of  Cavalier  Pietro  Naselli  Florey,  a  Sicilian, 
of  whom  it  was  also  reported  that  he  had  been  put  to  death,  but  this 
report  had  turned  out  to  be  a  mere  fabrication,  and  therefore  he  could 
assure  me  of  sincere  thanks  on  the  part  of  His  Neapolitan  Majesty,  if 
I  would  make  inquiries  about  him  on  my  arrival  at  Bokhara,  which  I 
promised  to  do. 

The  evidence  that  I  encountered  at  Constantinople  with  respect  to 
Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  was  of  the  most  conflicting  de- 
scription. I  subjoin  the  following  details,  which  then  reached  me  : 

I.  Monsieur  Danielewsky,  late  consul  of  His  Imperial  Majesty  at 
Khiva,  and  now  occupying  the  same  position  at  Belgrade,  assured  Sir 
Stratford  Canning  that  he  had  seen  several  persons  from  Bokhara 
when  at  Khiva,  some  of  whom  declared  they  had  witnessed  the  execu- 
tion of  the  British  officers  ;  some  stated  their  belief  that  it  had  taken 
place  from  hearsay,  and  some  even  described  their  persons,  agreeing 
therein  with  the  impression  which  Mr.  D.  had  received  from  others 
respecting  their  personal  appearance  on  former  occasions,  before  their 
labours  and  their  sufferings  had  become  an  object  of  public  interest. 

II.  The  following  letter  to  Sir  Stratford  Canning  was  also  commu- 
nicated to  me : 

Sir,  Trebizond,  August  16,  1843. 

Dr.  Casolani,  of  the  quarantine  department,  has  informed  me  that  several 
natives  of  Bokhara  have  recently  arrived  at  the  lazaretto  from  the  interior,  with  one 
of  whom  Dr.  Casolani  entered  into  conversation  respecting  Colonel  Stoddart  and 
Captain  Couolly.  The  Bokharalee  stated  that  he  quitted  his  native  place  about  six 
months  ago  ;  that  he  was  in  Bokhara  at  the  time  news  reached  that  place  of  the 
reverses  which  the  British  forces  had  met  with  in  Affghanistaun,  and  that  on  such 
news  being  communicated  to  the  Ameer  or  chief  of  that  country,  the  two  English 
ambassadors  then  there,  (meaning  Messieurs  Stoddart  and  Conolly,  and  who  are 
described  by  the  Bokharalee  as  a  tall,  and  the  other  as  a  short  man,)  were  called  up 
for  sentence.  On  being  offered  their  liberty,  provided  they  embraced  Mahomedanism, 
the  tall  man  refused  it,  and  was  put  to  death  by  having  his  throat  cut ;  and  that  the 
short  man,  seeing  the  sad  fate  of  his  companion,  had  actually  embraced  Mahomed- 
anism,  and  his  life  was  spared.  The  latter,  according  to  the  Bokharalee's  statement, 
now  exists,  and  is  employed  as  a  servant  in  one  of  the  mosques  at  Bokhara.  The 
name  of  the  Bokharalee  who  gave  Dr.  Casolani  the  information  is  Abdul  Rahim — 
Jam  Muhammed  :  he  proceeds  to  Constantinople,  with  his  companions,  by  one  of  the 
steamers,  on  departure  to-morrow.  He  possesses  a  Turkish  passport,  granted  him 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO-  BOKHARA.  89 

from  this  quarantine  department,  No.  11.  If  the  person  in  question  be  properly 
interrogated,  in  a  language  he  understands,  I  have  no  doubt  that  other  particulars  of 
importance,  connected  with  the  fate  of  the  two  British  officers  in  Bokhara,  might  be 
obtained. 

I  have,  &c. 

FRAS.  J.  STEVENS,  V.  Consul. 

III.  Sir  Stratford  Canning  sent  suddenly  for  me  on  the  8th  of  this 
month  (November),  and  told  me  these  words  :  "  T  have  good  news  for 
you ;  there  are  people  here  from  Bokhara  who  state  that  both  Stod- 
dart  and  Conolly  are  alive  ;  I  advise  you,  therefore,  not  to  go  to  see 
those  people  of  Bokhara  for  two  or  three  days,  until  I  have  seen  them 
myself,  and  I  will  then  let  you  know  when  to  see  them  yourself.     I 
am  not  quite  so  enthusiastic  as  you,  but  I  shall  rejoice  if  I  should  find 
the  report  confirmed/' 

IV.  The   L'lmpartial  Journal  Politique  Commercial  et  Literaire 
Smyrne,  Vendredi,  3  Novembre,  1843,  had  the  following  paragraph, 
headed,  INDES  ORIENTALES,  Bombay,  2  Octobre  :  "  Le  bruit  a  circule 
ces  jours  ci,  et  il  parait  venir  de  bonne  source,  que  le  Colonel  Stoddart 
dont  on  a  annonce  la  mort,  est  en  vie  a  Bokhara  ou  il  est  retenu  pri- 
sonnier." 

I  received  a  visit  from  Frederick  Pisani,  first  interpreter  to  the 
British  embassy,  on  the  5th  of  November  (Sunday  morning),  and  I 
requested  him  to  get  me  the  following  documents : 

1.  A  common  travelling  firmaun  from  the  Sultan,  mentioning  the 
cities  of  Bokhara,  Khokand,  and  Khiva. 

2.  Letters  from  the  Sultan  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  ordering  him  to 
set  at  liberty  the  English  travellers  Colonel  Stoddart,  Captain  Conolly, 
and  also  the  officers  Lieutenant  Steer  and  Dr.  Balfour,  if  there.    Should 
the  above-mentioned  officers  be  dead,  the  Ameer  should  state  to  me  the 
reasons  of  their  having  been  put  to  death,  and  how  far  he  (the  Ameer) 
is  willing  to  make  reparation  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  relations  of  the 
officers. 

3.  That  I  should  not  be  detained  one  single  day  at  Bokhara,  but  be 
sent  back  immediately  with  the  said  officers  to  Constantinople,  where  I 
was  expected  by  the  Sultan  ;  in  either  case,  after  the  space  of  six 
months  from  the  time  of  my  departure  from  Constantinople. 

4.  The  Sultan  should  also  give  me  letters  for  the  Kings  of  Khokand 
and  Khiva. 

5.  Letters  from  the  Sheikh  Islam  to  the  mullahs  of  Bokhara,  Khiva, 
and  Khokand,  to  the  same  effect. 

The  letters,  he  informed  me,  would  be  procured,  and  firmauns, 
before  the  15th  of  November,  and  that  on  the  17th  of  November  Sir 

12 


90  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

Stratford  Canning  would  send  me  in  a  steamer,  free,  of  expense,  to 
Trebizond  and  Erzroom. 

My  stay  at  Constantinople  excited  the  liveliest  interest  in  all  direc- 
tions. I  preached  repeatedly  in  the  ambassador's  chapel,  and  ex- 
pounded  in  His  Excellency's  family.  Walker  Pasha  invited  me,  with 
great  kindness,  to  see  him.  The  Count  and  Countess  Sturmer,  the 
Austrian  Internuntio,  also  invited  me  to  dine  with  them  on  the  23rd 
of  November.  Countess  Sturmer  said  to  me  on  that  occasion,  "  How 
happy  you  will  be  if  you  meet  with  Captain  Conolly  again ;  you 
deserve  it,  and  Conolly  loved  you  very  much  ;  he  always  spoke  of  you 
when  he  was  at  Constantinople."  His  Excellency  Count  Sturmer 
observed  that  he  had  learnt  from  several  persons  that  the  belief  of  the 
personal  reign  of  Christ  and  the  restoration  of  the  Jews  was  believed 
by  many  in  England.  I  met  there  the  Russian  and  Prussian  ambas- 
sadors, and  also  General  Jochmus,  who  conversed  with  me  a  good  deal 
about  Charles  Churchill,  of  whom  General  Jochmus  tells  me,  that  he 
takes  such  an  interest  in  the  Jewish  nation  that  he  would  wish  to 
become  a  second  Judas  Maccabseus.  General  Jochmus  is  a  native  of 
Hamburgh,  and  commanded  the  Austrian  troops  in  Syria  in  1839, 
against  Ibrahim  Pasha.  He  is  a  brave  man,  and  good  might  be  done 
by  employing  him  in  an  expedition  against  Bokhara.  After  dinner  I 
lectured  in  German. 

I.  On  Christ's  personal  coming  and  reign  on  earth. 

II.  The  first  resurrection. 

III.  The  renovation  of  the  whole  earth. 

IV.  The  restoration  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  land. 

V.  The  blessedness  of  the  believers  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  who 
shall  be  the  kings  of  the  earth,  whilst  the  nations  not  converted  to 
Christianity  shall  be  their  subjects. 

VI.  A  continual  intercourse  between  the  saints  above  and  the  people 
below  shall  take  place. 

Count  and  Countess  Sturmer  then  observed,  that  my  views  agreed 
in  a  great  degree  with  those  of  the  Rev.  George  Fisk,  prebendary  of 
Litchfield,  whose  acquaintance  they  had  made  at  Constantinople. 

It  might  appear  that  I  was  neglectful  of  the  high  purposes  of  my 
mission  amid  these  pleasant  attentions,  but  the  following  letter  from 
Sir  Stratford  Canning's  head  interpreter  will  probably  acquit  me  of 
any  unnecessary  delay : 

Dear  Sir,  Pera,  Nov.  14th,  1843. 

I  have  received  His  Excellency's  letter  about  your  affair  ;  I  have  answered 
it.    I  am  going  on  with  your  papers,  but  with  all  my  zeal  and  the  good  will  of  Ilia 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  91 

Excellency  the  minister  for  foreign  affairs,  we  are  both  afraid  it  will  be  impossible  to 
be  ready  for  you  this  week. 

Have  the  kindness  to  send  me  a  note,  with  the  names  of  the  principal  towns  you 
are  to  pass  through.  Seven  or  eight  names  will  do  for  the  whole  of  Turkish  Asia. 

I  am,  very  truly  yours, 

FRED.  PISANI, 
First  Interpreter  to  H.  B.  M.  Legation. 

At  this  period  I  despatched  to  my  kind  friend,  Captain  Grover,  the 
following  letter : 

My  dear  Grover,  Constantinople,  Nov.  11,  1843. 

The  greatest  interest  is  excited  here  among  the  members  of  the  diplomatic 
body,  about  my  mission  into  Bokhara.  His  Excellency  Count  de  Sturmer,  Inter- 
nuntio  of  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  Austria  at  the  Sublime  Porte,  has  expressed 
a  wish  to  make  my  personal  acquaintance,  and  has  invited  me  to  dine  with  him  next 
Monday.  To-morrow  (Sunday),  at  four  o'clock,  I  shall  expound  the  Scriptures  in 
the  British  embassy,  when  also  Admiral  Walker  and  Lady  Walker  will  be  invited  to 
attend  there,  and  also  to  dinner.  I  am  promised  to  have  my  papers  from  the  Sultan, 
and  the  Sheikh  Islam,  on  the  16th,  and  on  the  17th  I  shall  set  sail  for  Trebizond, 
and  then  I  shall  have  no  delay  till  Teheraun.  I  hope  to  arrive  at  Bokhara  at  the 
end  of  January.  Pray  ask  government  whether  I  shall  be  allowed  to  ransom  them 
(Stoddart  and  Conolly),  or  any  other  English  prisoners,  in  case  I  am  demanded. 

Yours,  affectionately, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

The  Internuntio,  who  had  promised  to  assist  me  to  the  full  extent  of 
his  power,  furnished  me  with  the  kindest  proofs  of  it,  and  addressed 
to  me  the  following  letter : 

(Translation.) 

Reverend  Sir,  Constantinople,  November  20,  1843. 

I  have,  alas,  not  succeeded  in  my  endeavours  of  procuring  for  you  letters  of 
recommendation  for  Khiva  and  Bokhara.  Only  the  Sublime  Porte  is  in  corres- 
pondence with  those  countries,  and  from  that  quarter  you  will  receive  letters  of 
introduction,  through  the  application  of  the  British  embassy.  I  send  you  herewith 
letters  of  recommendation  for  the  excellent  Austrian  consul,  who  is  at  the  same  time 
Russian  consul ;  and  herewith  I  also  send  to  you  a  letter  for  my  particular  friend, 
Count  Colloredo,  ambassador  to  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  at  the  court 
of  St.  Petersburg.  I  beg  you,  at  the  same  time,  to  accept  as  a  mark  of  respect 
from  me,  Hammer's  History  of  the  Osman  Empire,  which  may  be  an  amusement 
to  you  on  your  long  journey.  Should  you  return  safely  to  England,  I  beg  you  to 
send  to  me  in  return  for  it,  your  Journals,  which  I  and  my  wife  will  read  with  the 
greatest  attention. 

Could  we  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  once  more  to  dinner  next  Monday  ?  or 
would  you  mention  some  other  day  convenient  to  yourself,  Friday  excepted,  in  case 
that  you  want  to  eat  meat.  With  true  regard,  I  am,  reverend  Sir, 

Yours,  most  sincerely, 

COUNT  STURMEJU 


92  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

Various  attempts  were  made  at  this  period  to  deter  me  from  pro- 
ceeding to  Bokhara ;  hints  were  thrown  out,  that  it  would  be  better 
not  to  proceed  beyond  Meshed,  and  to  pour  money  into  Bokhara.  Had 
I  done  so,  I  might  have  gone  on  to  the  present  moment  with  this  system 
without  any  satisfactory  result.  By  the  kindness  of  Sir  Stratford 
Canning  I  was  enabled  to  announce  my  departure  to  my  friend  Captain 
Grover,  in  the  following  letter: 

My  dear  Grover,  Buyukdere,  British  Palace,  24  Nov.,  1843. 

The  inclosed  translation  of  the  Sultan's  letters  to  the  Kings  of  Khiva  and  Bok- 
hara will  convince  you  of  the  great  influence  of  Sir  Stratford  Canning  at  the  Porte. 
The  Committee  will  also  be  glad  to  learn  that  Sir  Stratford  Canning  ordered  Mr. 
Stephen  Pisani,  his  dragoman,  to  introduce  me  in  person  to  the  Grand  Vizier,  the 
Reis  Erfendi,  and  the  Sheikh  Islam,  all  of  whom  have  treated  me  with  the  greatest 
distinction.  I  leave  to-day  for  Trebizoud. 

In  great  huny,  yours  truly, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

Sir  Stratford  and  Lady  Canning  acted  like  parents  to  me,  and  the  dragomans, 
Messieurs  Frederic,  Stephen,  and  Count  Pisani,  showed  themselves,  in  spite  of  their 
manifold  occupations,  most  zealously  anxious  in  my  behalf ;  and  also  Lord  Napier, 
Mr.  Allison,  and  the  rest  of  the  attaches,  displayed  the  deepest  interest  in  the  cause. 

We  insert  the  letter  of  the  Sultan  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  and  as 
that  to  the  King  of  Khiva  is  couched  in  similar  terms,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  simply  urging  that  monarch  to  recommend  me  to  the  King  of 
Bokhara,  and  to  treat  me  with  the  highest  possible  distinction  in  the 
event  of  my  arriving  in  his  dominions,  I  do  not  think  it  necessary  to 
give  this  latter  communication. 

Letter  from  the  Sultan  Abdul  Medjid  to  the  Khan  of  Bokhara,  dated 

Nov.2l>  1843. 

Your  Greatness  knows  that  the  English  Government,  having  requested  some 
time  since  that  we  should  graciously  assist  in  the  deliverance  of  two  English  officers 
that  you  had  put  in  prison,  we  wrote  to  you  to  that  effect. 

As  now  Dr.  Wolff,  an  English  clergyman  of  distinction,  is  sent  by  some  English- 
men to  Bokhara  to  obtain  information  concerning  the  fate  of  the  two  officers  above 
mentioned,  as  well  as  of  two  other  Englishmen  since  arrived  there,  to  take  them 
with  him  and  conduct  them  to  their  country,  the  English  Government  has  again  on 
this  occasion  requested,  in  a  particular  manner,  that  we  should  write  to  you  a  Sov- 
ereign Letter  to  request  you  to  deliver  up  the  above  named  prisoners,  to  consign 
them  to  Dr.  Wolff,  and  to  cause  them  to  return  home. 

Your  Greatness  knows,  and  it  is  superfluous  to  tell  you,  that  the  maintenance 
and  preservation  of  the  close  and  sincere  friendship  which  exists  since  the  most  an- 
cient time  between  our  Sublime  Porte  and  the  Court  of  England  is  the  object  of  the 
desire  of  both  parties ;  and,  therefore,  that  the  requests  of  the  above-mentioned  Court 
are  favourably  received. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  93 

It  is,  therefore,  certain  that  we  ought  to  interest  ourselves  to  the  effect  that  the 
above-mentioned  prisoners  be  restored  to  liberty  and  sent  back  to  their  country.  In 
fact,  it  is  a  thing  incompatible  with  the  principles  observed  by  Governments,  and 
with  the  dignity  of  Sovereignty,  to  arrest  and  imprison  such  Moussafirs  ;  and  it  is 
fit  that  your  Greatness  should  cause  them  to  return  whence  they  came. 

From  the  sentiments  of  equity  and  justice  which  animate  you,  and  your  obedience 
to  our  august  person,  in  our  quality  of  Khaleef,  we  have  the  certainty  that,  con- 
formable to  what  we  have  above  remarked,  you  will  be  graciously  disposed  to 
liberate  the  prisoners,  if  they  are  still  at  Bokhara ;  we  expect  that  your  Greatness 
will  have  the  goodness  to  consign  them  to  the  clergyman  above  named,  and  to 
make  them  depart  immediately,  that  they  may  return"  to  their  country  by  way  of 
Constantinople. 

It  is  to  express  this  expectation  and  to  consolidate  the  edifice  of  our  sincere 
friendship,  as  well  as  to  inquire  the  state  of  your  health,  that  we  have  written  to 
you  this  Sovereign  Letter,  on  the  receipt  of  which,  if  it  please  God,  we  expect 
that  your  Greatness  will  kindly  employ  your  willing  attention  to  the  end  above- 
mentioned. 

Some  idea  of  the  interest  excited  in  the  fate  of  the  Bokhara  captives 
tnay  be  formed  from  the  following  paragraph  from  the  Turkish  Ga- 
zette, dated  26  Sheval,  or  20th  November  : 

About  three  or  four  years  ago,  two  English  officers,  both  well  versed  in  science 
*nd  literature,  were  travelling  for  information ;  on  arrival  at  the  city  of  Bokhara, 
the  governor  there,  suspecting  them  to  be  acting  as  spies,  ordered  them  to  be  seized 
and  thrown  into  prison.  Their  relatives  and  friends,  not  having  received  any 
intelligence  from,  or  about  them,  were  very  anxious  to  know  the  truth,  and  made 
several  inquiries ;  but  the  only  information  they  could  obtain  was  from  some  Bokhara 
merchants,  who  reported  that  whilst  there  (at  Bokhara),  they  had  heard  that  the 
government  had  these  two  officers  executed.  Such  information  not  being  satisfac- 
tory oi»  positive,  the  above-named  friends  and  relations,  anxious  to  elucidate  this 
affair,  have  selected  the  celebrated  Mr.  Wolff,  a  gentleman  well  versed  in  several 
languages,  and  who  has  been  a  great  traveller  in  Asia,  to  proceed  to  Bokhara,  and 
ascertain  the  fate  of  the  two  officers.  This  gentleman  has  now  arrived,  and  is  to 
proceed  by  the  steamer  to  Trebizond,  from  thence  to  Erzroom,  Persia,  &c. 

I  should  indeed  be  wanting  in  every  principle  of  gratitude  and  affec- 
tion, were  I  to  be  insensible  to  the  great  kindness  shown  to  me  by  all  the 
resident  ministers  at  Constantinople,  and  by  none  more  heartily  thai? 
our  own  distinguished  ambassador  and  his  lady.  After  preaching,  bj 
his  kind  permission,  in  his  chapel,  I  was  repeatedly  invited  to  Buyuk- 
dere,  and  after  discharging  duty  at  Pera  on  the  12th  November,  I  left 
for  Buyukdere,  and  preached  and  read  service  there  also.  I  remained 
there  until  the  21st,  when  I  delivered  a  lecture  in  the  ambassador's 
chapel,  where  the  above-mentioned  diplomatists  were  again  present, 
and  the  chapel  was  crowded  with  other  people  beside.  On  Wednes- 
day, the  Russian  ambassador  sent  his  first  dragoman,  Monsieur  de 


94  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

Semayloff,  with  me  to  the  house  of  the  Reis  EfFendi  (minister  of  state 
for  foreign  affairs),  in  order  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  Haje  Mu- 
hammed  Shereef,  a  sheikh  from  Bokhara,  who  had  just  arrived  from 
Mecca,  and  was  on  his  way  to  Bokhara.  On  our  arrival  at  the  pal- 
ace  of  the  Reis  Effendi,  His  Excellency  was  already  in  his  carriage 
on  his  way  to  the  seraglio.  Monsieur  de  Semayloff  went  out  of  the 
carriage  in  which  we  both  came,  and  approached  the  Reis  Effendi,  to 
ask  his  permission  to  introduce  me  to  the  Sheikh.  The  Reis  Effendi 
immediately  asked,  "  Have  you  Joseph  Wolff  with  you  ?"  Sem. 
"  Yes."  "  Pray  bring  him  here,  for  I  myself  wish  to  see  him."  His 
Excellency  (his  name  is  Rifaat  Pasha),  as  soon  as  he  saw  me,  said 
that  the  Sultan  had  written  all  the  letters  in  the  strongest  manner,  and 
that  His  Majesty  and  the  whole  court  admired  my  courage  and 

.  philanthropy,  and  His  Excellency  wished  to  speak  with  me  also  the 
next  day.  He  sent  immediately  one  of  his  officers  back  with  me  to 
his  palace,  to  introduce  me  to  the  Bokhara  sheikh,  who  at  once  recol- 
lected having  seen  me  twelve  years  ago  at  Bokhara,  in  the  house  of 
the  Goosh  Bekee.  He  promised  me  every  assistance  on  his  arrival  at 
Bokhara,  but  as  he  went  via  Orenbourg,  I  was  not  able  to  go  with  him. 
On  the  23rd,  Sir  Stratford  Canning  sent  with  me  Mr.  Stephen  Pi- 
sani,  his  most  energetic  and  clever  interpreter,  to  the  Sheikh  Islam,  the 
first  mullah  of  the  Muhammedan  religion  at  Constantinople,  who  is  the 
only  person  allowed  to  sit  down  in  the  presence  of  the  Sultan,  and  the 
Sultan  even  kisseth  his  hand.  His  influence  extends  not  only  over  Tur- 
key and  Arabia,  but  into  Central  Asia,  and  wherever  Muhammedans 
of  the  Sunnee  persuasion  exist.  He  also  received  me  in  the  kindest 
manner,  and  told  me  that  he  had  already  sent  his  letters  for  me  to  the 
mullahs  of  Khiva,  Bokhara,  Khokand,  and  Daghestaun.  His  Felicity 

'  (this  is  his  title)  is  a  man  about  seventy  years  of  age,  with  a  white 
beard,  a  large  green  turban  upon  his  head,  clothed  in  a  kind  of  red 
velvet  tunic,  with  a  white  band  around  it.  Another  mullah  was  sit- 
ting at  his  left,  at  a  considerable  distance  from  him  upon  the  divaun. 
The  Sheikh  Islam  offered  me  a  pinch  of  snuff;  I  replied,  "  Though  I 
am  not  used  to  take  snuff,  I  consider  it  such  a  high  honour  to  take 
snuff  with  so  distinguished  a  personage,  that  I  would  take  a  very 
hearty  pinch."  And  so  I  did,  and  my  sneezing  after  convinced  him 
of  the  truth  of  my  remark.  I  then  expressed  my  joy  to  have  now 
seen  all  the  heads  of  every  religion  on  earth,  and  that  it  was  my  wish 
that  the  good  understanding  which  then  subsisted  between  England 
and  the  Porte  might  long  continue.  The  Sheikh  Islam  replied  that 
this  was  also  his  ardent  desire.  I  then  called  on  the  Reis  Effendi, 
who  delivered  to  me  eight  letters  of  introduction. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  95 

I.  From  the  Sultan :  1,  to  the  King  of  Khiva  ;  2,  to  the  King  of 
Bokhara,  which  His  Majesty  wrote  with  his  own  hand  at  night. 

II.  From  the  Sheikh  Islam :  1,  to  the  mullahs  of  Bokhara ;  2,  to 
the  mullahs  of  Khiva  ;  3,  to  the  mullahs  of  Khokand. 

III.  From  the  Reis  Effendi :   1,  to  tlie  Pasha  of  Trebizond  ;  2,  to 
the  Pasha  of  Erzroom ;   3,  to  the  General-in-chief  of  the  army  at 
Erzroom. 

The  Reis  Effendi  then  advised  me  also  to  call  on  the  Grand  Vizier, 
and  on  the  Cadi  of  Roumelee,  which  I  did,  by  all  of  whom  I  was  re- 
ceived with  the  greatest  kindness  and  politeness,  and  all  of  them  rec- 
ommended me  particularly  to  the  Sheikh  of  Bokhara  above-mentioned, 
whose  name  was  Haje  Muhammed  Shereef  Bokharaae.  I  then  re- 
turned to  the  Reis  Effendi,  who  said  to  me,  "  I  am  very  much  con- 
cerned about  you,  and  so  we  are  all  at  court,  and  therefore  you  ought 
not  only  to  call  on  me,  but  on  all  the  ministers  of  the  Sultan,  as  the 
Grand  Vizier  and  the  Cadi  of  Roumelee.  With  the  latter  you  can 
speak  Arabic  and  Persian,  for  he  is  a  very  learned  man."  I  did  ac- 
cordingly, and  both  the  Grand  Vizier  and  the  judge  of  Roumelee  ex- 
pressed a  great  interest  in  my  mission.  I  met  there  with  Mr.  Allison, 
the  first  secretary  to  the  British  embassy,  who  told  me  that  the  general 
impression  was  that  I  was  an  ambassador. 

On  my  return  to  Mr.  Southgate's  house,  I  met  with  Mr.  Nicolay- 
son,  just  arrived  from  Jerusalem,  who  was  very  glad  to  see  me,  and 
he  expressed  a  wish  that  I  should  come  to  see  them  at  Jerusalem.  I 
received  then  a  note  from  Sir  Stratford,  requesting  me  to  go  back  with 
him  to  Buyukdere,  in  the  steamer  Devastation.  I  did  so  accordingly. 
On  the  24th,  Lady  Canning  herself  sowed  up  my  letters  from  the 
Sultan,  and  the  Sheikh  Islam,  in  my  coat,  gave  me  tea  and  sugar,  and 
saddle  and  bridle.  Sir  Stratford  gave  me  a  telescope  and  compass. 
I  cannot  express  how  much  the  whole  Committee  owe  to  Sir  Stratford 
and  Lady  Canning.  Two  days  before  quitting  Constantinople  I  vis- 
ited the  Convent  of  the  Bokhara  and  Samarcand  derveeshes,  who  were 
highly  rejoiced  when  they  perceived  that  I  was  acquainted  with  their 
country,  but  were  not  able  to  give  me  any  information  about  Colonel 
Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention,  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nicolayson  was 
waiting  to  obtain  a  firmaun  in  order  to  be  allowed  to  build  a  church 
at  Jerusalem,  without  which  firmaun  they  never  would  have  been  en- 
abled to  build.  If  any  one  could  induce  the  Sultan  to  grant  such  a 
firmaun,  Sir  Stratford  Canning  would  be  the  man,  our  highly  prin- 
cipled, religious,  talented,  and  kind-hearted  ambassador.  If  the  fir- 
maun be  obtained,  I  hope  that  the  Arabs  round  about  Jerusalem,  and 


96  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

the  local  authorities,  will  put  no  further  obstacles  in  the  way.  But  I 
think  that  the  best  way  would  have  been  not  to  have  applied  for  the 
firmaun  at  all,  as  they  cannot  give  such  a  firmaun  by  the  Muham- 
medan  law.  But  the  law  might  be  evaded  in  the  following  manner : 
by  building  a  large  house  for  the  British  consul  at  Jerusalem,  and  an- 
nexing to  it  a  chapel  for  him.  And  in  order  to  keep  the  Arabs  and 
the  Pasha  quiet,  to  send  to  the  Pasha  occasionally  some  bottles  of 
champagne,  which  he  might  drink  medicinally,  and  to  invite  him  and 
the  Arabs  to  dine  with  the  Bishop  of  Jerusalem.  This  course,  com- 
oined  with  a  present  to  the  local  authorities  of  some  thousand  piastres, 
would  have  answered  the  end. 

I  must  not,  however,  forget  to  mention  also  my  obligations  to  Lord 
Napier,  to  Messrs.  Allison,  Tod,  Wood,  F.  Pisani,  Count  A.  Pisani, 
all  attached  to  the  British  mission,  and  to  Mr.  Lafontaine,  who  exerted 
himself  kindly  in  obtaining  information  for  me  about  Stoddart  and 
Conolly.  Mr.  Hunter,  also,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Times,  was 
most  actively  engaged  in  spreading  a  favourable  report  of  my  mission. 
Count  and  Countess  Sturmer,  and  Mr.  de  Titow,  furnished  me  with 
letters  for  the  road.  Sir  S.  Canning  paid  my  passage-money  to  Treb- 
izond.  Before  I  left,  Sir  Stratford  said,  "  You  must  return  via  Con- 
stantinople, for  if  you  succeed  we  receive  you  in  triumph,  if  not,  we 
will  try  to  console  you.  And  with  either  result,  your  expedition  must 
be  viewed  as  a  national  act,  and  will  conduce  to  the  honour  of  the 
British  nation."  Many  other  persons  made  the  remark,  "  What  a 
bold,  straight- forward,  generous  gentleman  Captain  Grover  must  be." 

At  one  o'clock  (November  24),  I  embarked  on  board  the  Mettcrnich, 
an  Austrian  steamer,  commanded  by  a  kind  captain,  Signor  Clician, 
which  vessel  Count  Sturmer  ordered  to  call  for  me  at  Buyukdere. 
Lord  Napier  gave  me,  when  on  board,  Luther's  Exposition  of  the 
Epistle  of  St.  Peter,  printed  in  German  three  hundred  years  ago  j 
and  also  the  Life  of  Goethe,  written  by  Falck,  a  remarkable  work,  as 
Falck  died  before  Goethe.  All  the  rest  of  the  attaches  accompanied 
me  on  board,  and  took  leave  of  me.  I  took  with  me  one  servant,  a 
Servian,  Michaele.  Signor  Clician  showed  to  me  the  book  in  which 
his  passengers  had  written  their  names  ;  and  I  met  with  the  following  : 

Lord  Pollington,  May  twenty-eighth,  1808,  from  Constantinople  to  Trebizond.  I 
have  passed  three  days  very  pleasantly  on  board  the  Metternich,  and  I  have  every 
reason  to  thank  Captain  Ford  for  his  kindness. 

And  most  remarkable : 

I  beg  to  add  my  thanks  to  Captain  Clician  for  his  kindness  during  a  passage  from 
Constantinople  to  Trebizond. 

August  24,  1839.  ARTHUR  CONOLLY. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  97 


CHAPTER  V. 

Arrival  at  Trebizond.  Singular  Report  of  Signor  Ghersi.  Interview  with  Pasha  of 
Trebizond.  Subscription  to  Mission  at  Trebizond.  Departure  for  Erzroom  ;  ter- 
rific Route  ;  Gumush  Khane*.  Conviction  of  the  Turks  that  their  Empire  is  sink- 
ing. Murad  Khan  Oglu  ;  Balahor ;  Bayboot.  Kob  ;  curious  Story  of  a  Derveesh 
at  this  Village.  Ashkaleh.  Elijehtebbe.  Warm  Springs.  Erzroom.  Dispute 
between  Turks  and  Persians  on  Frontier  Question.  Mr.  Brant,  the  Consul ;  his 
Kindness.  Interview  with  Pasha  of  Erzroom.  Etymon  of  Erzroom.  Pasha  of 
Erzroom  pays  Dr.  Wolff's  Expenses  to  Persian  Frontier.  Letter  from  Erzroom 
to  Captain  Grover.  Baptism  of  a  converted  Jew.  Proposed  Route.  Detention 
at  Erzroom  by  inclemency  of  Weather.  Kindness  of  Colonel  Williams  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Redhouse.  Letter  to  Captain  Grover.  Letter  from  Colonel  Williams. 
Public  Address  to  the  Muhammedans.  Letters  to  England.  Contribution  to 
Mission  from  a  Gentleman  at  Trebizond.  Address  to  the  Armenians. 

ON  the  20th  of  November,  the  steamer  stopped  towards  the  evening 
for  one  hour  at  Samsoon,  where  Mr.  Richard  White  Stevens  is  British 
vice-consul,  brother  to  Mr.  Francis  Iliff  Stevens,  British  vice-consul  at 
Trebizond.  Mr.  Stevens  at  Samsoon  called  on  board  the  Metternich, 
and  told  me  that  I  was  already  expected  at  Trebizond  and  Erzroom, 
and  that  his  brother  at  Trebizond  had  prepared  a  room  for  me.  We 
then  stopt  a  few  hours  at  Sinope,  where  Diogenes  was  born.  On  the 
27th  I  arrived  at  Trebizond,  where  Dr.  Casolani,  superintendent  of  the 
quarantine,  came  on  board,  and  expressed  a  very  sincere  joy  and  sym- 
pathy with  my  present  object.  Soon  after,  Mr.  Stevens,  the  British 
vice-consul,  sent  to  me  Mr.  Dixon,  son  to  Dr.  Dixon  at  Tripolis,  whom 
we  knew  at  Malta,  and  that  gentleman  welcomed  me  in  the  name  of 
Mr.  Stevens.  Arriving  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Stevens,  he  and  his  two 
very  amiable  sisters  received  me  with  the  greatest  cordiality,  and  a 
room  was  prepared  for  me.  In  the  evening  I  met  a  large  party  at 
dinner.  The  Austrian  vice-consul,  Signor  Ghersi,  also  called  on  me  ; 
I  knew  him  here  twelve  years  ago.  He  stated  to  me,  that  eight  in- 
habitants  of  Bokhara  had  just  arrived,  who  said  that  both  Stoddart  and 
Conolly  were  alive  :  the  first,  they  said,  under  the  name  of  Abdul  Sa- 
mut  Khan,  commanded  the  artillery,  and  that  Conolly  acted  under  him 
as  his  Kiaya. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  Mr.  Stevens,  the  vice-consul,  introduced 
me  to  the  Pasha  of  Trebizond,  for  whom  I  had  a  letter  of  introduction 
from  the  Reis  Effendi.  He  received  us  in  the  most  satisfactory  man- 

13 


98  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

ner,  gave  me  a  passport  for  the  road,  and  a  tatar.  He  is,  however, 
generally  regarded  as  a  great  brute,  bigoted,  and  an  enemy  to  the  re- 
forms made  by  the  Sultan.  He  cannot  bear  Europeans,  and  tries  to 
discourage  every  attempt  to  civilize  his  people  at  Erzroom,  and  mal- 
treats the  Christians  whenever  he  has  an  opportunity.  An  association 
of  European  Christians  ought  to  be  established  for  giving  protection  to 
the  Eastern  Christians,  to  Armenians,  Greeks,  and  Chaldeans.  It  is 
true  that  the  Christians  in  the  East  are  now,  by  long  oppression,  so  de- 
graded that  they  will  not  feel  much  gratitude  for  the  assistance  of 
Europeans ;  but  we  ought  not  to  do  good  in  order  to  receive  thanks 
from  men,  but  for  the  sake  of  humanity.  Even  civilized  people  do  not 
always  feel  gratitude  for  benefits  received. 

Trebizond  is  inhabited  by  Armenian  and  Greek  Christians,  beside 
Turks,  and  some  European  Christians.  And  around  Trebizond  are 
great  numbers  of  villages  inhabited  by  Greeks  who  outwardly  profess 
the  Muhammedan  religion,  but  in  secret  they  practise  the  Christian 
religion.  This  they  have  carried  on  since  the  establishment  of  Mu- 
hammedanism  at  Constantinople.  They  have  their  priests,  who,  in  se- 
cret, are  ordained  by  the  Patriarch  of  Constantinople,  and  by  the 
Bishop  of  the  Greek  church  at  Trebizond. 

I  lectured  in  Italian  that  same  evening,  and  through  the  great  kind- 
ness  of  Mr.  Stevens,  four  thousand  four  hundred  piastres  were  collected 
for  defraying  the  expense  of  my  journey  to  Erzroom,  equivalent  to 
forty-four  pounds  sterling  (I  subjoin  the  kind  letter  in  which  this  is 
conveyed) ;  so  that  I  had  not  yet  drawn  one  single  farthing  from  my 
money  since  I  left  England. 

My  dear  Sir,  Trebizond,  29th  November,  1843. 

Our  small  circle,  appreciating  the  humane  motives  which  have  led  you  to 
undertake  your  present  journey  to  Bokhara,  expressed  a  wish  to  form  a  subscription, 
with  a  view  to  defray  the  expenses  of  your  journey,  from  this  place  to  Erzeroom. 
I  have  accordingly  collected  4400  piastres,  in  the  manner  set  forth  in  the  annexed 
copy  of  the  subscription  list. 

From  that  sum  I  have  disbursed,  on  your  account,  1388  piastres,  as  is  seen  by 
the  accompanying  note.  There  remains  a  surplus  of  3012  piastres,  for  which 
amount  I  beg  to  enclose  a  credit  I  have  to-day  opened  in  your  favour  with  Messrs. 
James  Brant  and  Co.,  of  Erzeroom,  and  which,  I  trust,  will  suffice  to  carry  you 
to  Tabreez  from  Erzeroom. 

You  will  observe,  from  the  accompanying  note  of  disbursements,  that  the  items 
therein  comprise  your  entire  expenses  to  Erzeroom. 

It  only  now  remains  for  me  to  unite  my  prayers  to  those  of  our  whole  circle,  for 
your  preservation  throughout  the  long  journey  you  are  now  prosecuting,  and  that 
the  Almighty  will  assist  you  in  the  humane  object  of  your  undertaking,  is  the 
prayer  of,  my  dear  Sir,  Yours  faithfully, 

FRAS.  I.  STEVENS. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  99 

Disbursements  made  for  Dr.  Wolff  at  Trebizond. 

Piastres. 
Cost  of  a  saddle  and  two  whips     ---------        88 

"  Tatar  to  Erzeroom        800 

Additional   Tatar  for  road  expenses,    horses,  &.C.,  and  for 

which  he  will  render  an  account  at  Erzeroom     -     -     -     -      500 

Total 1388 

FRAS.  I.  STEVENS. 

Messieurs  Stevens  and  the  Misses  Stevens  are  the  children  of  Mr. 
Stevens,  my  solicitor  at  Malta  ;  the  most  kind-hearted,  hospitable,  and 
excellent  people  I  ever  met  with.  Mr.  Ghersi  is  also  a  very  nice, 
open-hearted,  and  liberally  minded  gentleman,  and  so  is  Dr.  Casolani. 

I  set  out,  on  the  1st  of  December,  for  Erzroom,  with  my  Servian 
attendant,  Michael,  a  tatar  of  the  Pasha,  and  an  excellent  Turk,  who 
always  walked  near  me  when  I  ascended  the  precipices  of  Trebizond. 
The  road  from  Trebizond  to  Erzroom  was  horrid,  so  that  I  walked  the 
whole  day  on  foot. 

On  my  arrival  at  Gumush-Khane, — which  means  house  of  silver, 
for  there  are  silver  mines  there, — as  I  had  a  letter  from  Ghersi,  the 
Austrian  and  Russian  consul  at  Trebizond,  for  a  wealthy  Armenian, 
Arrakel  Cibukci-Oglu  (the  son  of  the  pipe-maker)  by  name,  I  took  up 
my  lodging  with  him,  where  I  also  met  with  the  Armenian  Archbishop, 
a  well-informed  gentleman,  who  was  very  glad  to  make  the  acquaint- 
ance of  "  Mr,  Wolff,"  of  whom  he  had  heard  so  much. 

I  met  in  his  house  also  with  an  Armenian  pilgrim  from  Jerusalem, 
who  had  just  arrived  from  that  city,  and  had  seen  there  the  bishop  of 
the  Protestants.  The  Armenians  at  Gumush-Khane,  however,  are 
not  satisfied  with  their  Archbishop,  and  accuse  him  of  tyranny.  The 
Sultan  has  conferred  great  powers  on  the  Armenian  and  Greek 
bishops,  and  encourages  them  in  punishing  those  of  their  flock  who 
have  intercourse  with  the  Protestant  missionaries,  and  therefore  the 
worthy  missionaries  stationed  at  Trebizond  and  Erzroom  have  their 
hands  tied,  and  can  do  nothing.  Messrs.  Bliss  and  Benjamin,  mis- 
sionaries from  America  stationed  at  Trebizond,  and  Messrs.  Peabody 
and  Jackson  at  Erzroom,  are  most  worthy  people,  quiet  and  peaceable, 
and  zealous  in  their  work  ;  but  the  Armenians  are  prohibited  by  their 
Bishops  to  receive  them  in  their  houses. 

What  a  beautiful  country  the  Turkish  empire  would  be  if  in  the 
hands  of  a  European  power,  for  it  is  blessed  with  everything  by  na- 
ture ;  but  it  will  never  be  improved  by  the  Turks,  for,  beside  the 
natural  indolence  of  the  Turks,  the  Muhammedans  have  a  strong  con- 
viction on  their  minds  that  they  will  be  driven  out  of  their  present  pos, 


100  NARRATIVE    OF    THE  MISSION 

sessions,  and  that  their  labours  will  be  for  the  benefit  of  Christians, 
who  will  become  the  rulers  of  their  country.  This  conviction  has  not 
only  been  produced  by  the  superiority  exercised  over  them  by  the 
European  powers,  but  also  by  old  traditions,  sayings,  and  prophecies 
of  their  own.  And  it  is  for  that  reason  that  I  always  engaged  the  at- 
tention of  their  mullahs  when  I  spoke  to  them  about  the  second 
coming  of  Christ,  the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  and  that  those  events 
shall  be  ushered  in  by  unheard-of  judgments  over  all  countries. 

There  are  in  Gumush-Khane  two  hundred  Armenians,  two  hundred 
Mussulmans,  four  hundred  Greeks,  and  eight  catholic  Armenians. 
The  Armenians  have  one  church,  and  the  Greeks  four  churches. 
The  Armenians  lamented  that  their  schoolmaster  had  just  left  them, 
and  that  they  were  without  a  school  at  present,  but  the  Archbishop 
wrote  for  one  to  Constantinople.  The  Archbishop  of  Gumush-Khane 
is  also  Archbishop  of  Trebizond,  and  his  net  income  amounts  annually 
to  the  vast  sum  of  eighty  dollars,  i.  e.  sixteen  pounds  sterling. 

I  left  Gumush-Khane  on  Monday  the  4th  of  December,  and,  recross- 
ing  the  river  before  the  town,  took  a  more  easterly  direction  through 
a  rocky  valley  surrounded  by  a  line  of  mountains.  After  some  hours' 
ride,  the  country  took  a  more  pleasant  appearance.  We  observed  it 
was  covered  with  verdure,  and  goats  were  running  about  in  the  plain. 
We  slept  that  night  at  a  miserable  place  called  Murad  Khan  Oglu, 
and  the  next  day  we  arrived,  in  the  afternoon,  in  a  village  called 
Balahor,  for  which  place  I  had  a  letter  from  the  Archbishop  of 
Gumush-Khane,  for  an  Armenian  called  Stephan,  who  received  me 
hospitably  in  his  house,  which  was  remarkable  for  having  a  dome,  in 
contrast  to  the  general  flat  roofs  of  the  East.  Most  of  the  Kurdish 
houses  are  of  that  form,  and  also  in  Armenia :  they  are  exceedingly 
dark.  My  poor  host  was  very  kind. 

On  the  6th  of  December  we  arrived  at  Bayboot,  surrounded  by 
high  and  bare  mountains  ;  a  rapid  stream  runs  through  the  place.  It 
contains  four  hundred  Mussulmans,  and  one  hundred  Armenians,  and 
has  six  mosques  and  one  church.  As  I  had  a  letter  for  Mombjoo 
Oglu  Stephan,  an  Armenian  merchant,  I  was  hospitably  received  by 
him ;  and  the  Armenian  priests  also  called.  A  place  of  quarantine 
is  established  there,  where  the  Turks  and  others  who  come  from  the 
interior  of  Turkey  are  obliged  to  undergo  the  quarantine  for  nine 
days.  An  Italian  physician,  Luigi  Ercolani  by  name,  was  placed 
over  it ;  he  called  on  me,  and  I  found  him  to  be  well  versed  in  the 
Italian  literature,  and,  as  a  Roman  by  birth,  well  acquainted  with  the 
distinguished  characters  of  that  city  ;  he  seemed  also  to  be  well  ac- 
quainted with  his  profession.  He  informed  me  that  the  greatest  phy- 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  101 

sicians  in  Italy  at  that  period  were  Dr.  Buffalini  at  Florence,  and 
Drs.  Folchi  and  Mattei  at  Rome.  I  also  had  a  visit  from  an  Arme- 
nian, Haje  Anbar  by  name ;  when  he  entered  the  room  all  rose,  for 
he  had  only  arrived  three  months  ago  from  Jerusalem ;  he  spoke 
kindly  of  the  English ;  and  the  account  of  the  state  of  Jerusalem  was 
rather  gratifying.  The  Armenians  live  in  peace  there — not  disturbed 
or  oppressed  by  the  Turks — and  Zacharias  Wardapet  is  their  patri- 
arch. He  told  me  that  he  accompanied  Bishop  Alexander  to  Beth- 
Lehem. 

December  7th,  we  arrived  in  the  village  called  Kob,  whence  the 
tatar  was  obliged  to  take  two  men  to  carry  me  safely  over  the  moun- 
tains, covered  with  snow,  for  two  hours.  I  paid  to  the  poor  people 
fourteen  piastres.  I  am  now  a  more  wretched  horseman  than  I  ever 
was  before,  so  that  Dr.  Calsolani,  and  Mr.  Stevens,  the  vice-consul  of 
Trebizond,  found  it  to  be  expedient  to  send  with  me  a  Turk,  Omar  by 
name,  who  always  walked  near  my  horse,  but  mostly  I  walked  on 
foot, — an  excellent  fellow  he  was.  When  th*  horse  stumbled  in  the 
least,  and  I  cried  out,  he  immediately  took  hold  of  the  bridle,  and  ex- 
claimed, "  Sarar  yok,  Beyk  Zadeh!"  "No  danger,  Son  of  the 
Bey!" 

In  the  time  of  Sultan  Murad  a  holy  derveesh  was  residing  in  this 
village  of  Kob.  When  the  Sultan  Murad  was  returning  from  his  ex- 
pedition to  Persia,  he  came  to  this  village  ;  and  meeting  that  derveesh, 
he  took  him  with  him  to  Constantinople  in  order  to  mock  at  him.  On 
their  arrival  at  Stambool,  that  derveesh  was  bold  enough  to  reprove 
openly  the  monarch  on  account  of  his  tyranny,  for  which  the  Sultan, 
in  his  wrath,  ordered  him  to  be  put  into  a  fiery  furnace,  from  which, 
however,  the  holy  man  came  out  untouched.  The  Sultan,  perceiving 
by  this  that  he  had  to  do  with  a  real  man  of  God,  took  him  into  his 
treasury,  and  told  him  that  he  should  take  out  of  it  whatever  he  pleased. 
The  derveesh  selected  a  girdle  and  a  book,  at  which  the  Sultan  was 
much  surprised,  and  asked  him  why  he  had  not  taken  money ;  he  re- 
plied that  he  was  not  in  want  of  money,  but  requested  the  Sultan  that 
he  should  permit  him  to  return  to  his  native  village,  and  there  bestow 
upon  him  various  fields  and  meadows  for  his  and  his  descendants' 
benefit.  The  Sultan,  gratified  at  his  moderation,  gave  him  the  grant 
of  his  request  by  a  firmaun,  which  secured  to  him  and  his  heirs  the 
village  of  Kob  free  of  tribute.  After  his  return  to  his  native  village 
he  commenced  husbandry,  and  prospered.  He  had  a  wife,  who  used 
to  take  his  food  in  the  field  to  him ;  and  he  also  had  a  daughter,  who 
went  on  a  certain  day  to  take  her  father's  food  to  him  ;  on  her  ar- 
rival in  the  field  she  discovered  that  the  plough  used  by  her  father  was 


102  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

drawn  by  griffins,  and  the  harness  was  of  snakes  and  serpents.  She 
returned  home  and  related  what  she  had  witnessed,  which  so  annoyed 
her  father  that  he  offered  up  a  prayer  that  no  female  of  the  family 
should  ever  arrive  at  a  marriageable  age.  The  second  generation  is 
now  living,  and  they  have  never  been  able  to  rear  a  daughter  beyond 
ten  years  old,  but  they  have  sons.  The  descendants  of  this  good 
derveesh  still  occupy  the  village.  They  have  built  a  college,  and 
every  person  in  the  village  of  Kob  knows  how  to  read  and  write. 
They  have  abolished  smoking,  as  an  idle  habit,  and  there  is  not  a  pipe 
to  be  seen  in  the  village.  Sixty  men  are  residing  in  the  village  above 
the  age  of  eighteen,  and  the  rest  are  composed  of  females.  The  head 
of  the  village,  Sheikh  Abd  Ullah,  grandson  of  the  above  holy  der- 
veesh, is  now  performing  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca ;  he  himself  related 
this  history  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Redhouse. 

We  then  arrived,  after  seven  hours  from  Kob,  in  the  village  called 
Ashkaleh,  where  one  crosses,  the  first  time,  the  Western  Euphrates, 
called  in  Turkish  Kara  Soo,  Black  Water;  near  Dia-Deen,  the  East- 
ern Euphrates  flows,  called  Moorad,  when  they  are  united  together 
about  Kaban  Madan ;  they  are  called  Frat.  At  Ashkaleh  I  found  again 
three  derveeshes  from  Bokhara,  who  left  Bokhara  four  months  ago. 
I  asked  them  whether  they  had  seen  at  Bokhara  some  English  travel- 
lers. 

Bokharalee.  Yes ;  and  it  was  reported  for  some  time  that  they  had 
been  killed,  but  there  was  no  truth  in  it ;  but  one  of  them  came  from 
Khokand,  with  whom  the  King  of  Bokhara  was  angry,  believing  that 
he  did  assist  the  King  of  Khokand,  and  therefore  put  both  the  tall  and 
short  Englishman  into  prison,  but  let  them  out  after  some  time,  and 
they  now  teach  the  soldiers  of  Bokhara  the  European  Nizam. 

I  recommended  these  Bokharalee  to  Mr.  Stevens  at  Trebizond,  and 
requested  him  to  send  them  in  a  steamer  to  the  British  ambassador 
at  Constantinople ;  which  was  done  at  my  expense,  and  for  which  I 
paid  six  hundred  piastres.  The  names  of  these  derveeshes  were: 
1,  Muhammed  Badur,  of  Tashkand,  in  the  Great  Bokhara ;  2,  Mu- 
hammed  Nasar,  of  the  city  of  Bokhara ;  3,  Haje  Falwan,  of  the  city 
of  Shahr  Sabz,  near  Bokhara ;  4,  Haje  Rustam,  of  Heraut. 

On  the  9th  of  December,  1843,  I  arrived  at  Elijehtebbe,  where 
Pompey  defeated  Mithridates,  a  place  deriving  its  name,  like  Ther- 
mopylae, from  its  hot  springs;  elyeh,  spring,  and  tebbe,  warm,  tepid. 
A  mineral  bath  is  to  be  found  there,  where  a  Turk  asked  me  whether 
the  Balius  (consul)  of  the  English  nation,  residing  at  Erzroom,  was 
not  the  "  Kraal  Inglees  Oglu,"  the  Son  of  the  King  of  England.  This 
question  at  least  was,  so  far,  gratifying,  for  it  shewed  that  our  consul 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  103 

was  respected  at  Erzroom  ;  and  thus  I  found  it  also  to  be  the  case,  for 
on  my  arrival  at  Erzroom,  the  Turkish  inhabitants  of  Erzroom,  who 
thirteen  years  ago  looked  upon  a  European  with  comtempt,  saluted 
me  kindly,  and  many  walked  with  me  to  the  house  of  the  British 
consul,  my  old  kind  friend  and  host,  James  Brant,  Esq.,  who  resided 
thirteen  years  ago  at  Trebizond.  He  received  me  with  his  usual 
straightforward  and  cordial  hospitality,  and  delivered  me  letters  from 
my  dear  Lady  Georgiana.  He  informed  me  that  several  of  the  Eng- 
lish residents  at  Erzroom  wished  me  to  administer  to  them  on  the  day 
following,  the  10th  of  December,  the  sacrament. 

There  was  a  dispute  between  the  Turks  and  Persians  with  regard 
to  the  frontiers  and  the  Coords ;  British,  Russian,  Turkish,  and  Persian 
commissioners  were  therefore  sent  here  to  settle  the  affair.  The  fol- 
lowing British  subjects  were  for  this  cause,  therefore,  at  Erzroom : 
1.  James  Brant,  Esq.,  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  consul.  2.  H.  H. 
Calvert,  Esq.,  Cancelliere  to  the  consulate.  3.  George  Guarracino, 
Esq.,  Attache  to  the  consulate.  4.  P.  Zohrab,  Esq.,  dragoman,  and 
his  wife  and  daughters.  5.  Joseph  Diekson,  Esq.,  M.D.,  son  to  Dr. 
Dickson  at  Tripoli.  6.  Colonel  Williams,  R.  A. ;  and  7.  Honourable 
Robert  Curzon,  son  of  the  Honourable  Robert  Curzon  and  Lady  La 
Zouch  ; — both  these  latter  gentlemen  were  the  commissioners  on  the 
part  of  the  British  Government.  8.  J.  Redhouse,  Esq.,  secretary  and 
dragoman  to  the  commissioners,  the  greatest  Turkish  scholar  in  Eu- 
rope— he  was  here  with  his  amiable  wife. 

From  Russia  the  following  gentlemen  were  sent  as  commissioners : 
1.  Colonel  Dainese,  commissioner.  2.  Moukhine,  interpreter.  3. 
ProseuriakofF,  secretary. 

From  the  Persian  side :  Mirza  Takke,  plenipotentiary. 

Turkish  side :  Envery  Effendi,  plenipotentiary ;  Dr.  De  Camin,  his 
physician ;  Signor  Garibaldi,  Russian  consul ;  French  consul,  Mon- 
sieur Goepp ;  French  interpreter,  Monsieur  Belin ;  Russian  consul's 
secretary,  Dr.  Bertoni. 

Bekir  Pasha,  attached  to  Envery  Effendi,  called  on  Mr.  Brant ;  he 
is  a  descendant  of  Abu  Bekir, — speaks  English  well.  There  are  also 
here  the  Revs.  W.  C.  Jackson  and  Josiah  Peabody,  American  mis- 
sionaries ;  excellent  people. 

10th  December,  1843,  being  Sunday,  I  read  divine  service,  preached, 
and  administered  the  sacrament  to  about  seven  English  friends ;  all 
the  British  attended,  except  the  Honourable  Robert  Curzon,  who  was 
prevented  from  attending,  simply  by  weakness  resulting  from  a  dan- 
gerous fever. 

His  Excellency  the  Pasha  of  Erzroom,  Kamilee  Al-Haje,  a  very 


104  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

amiable  and  polite  man,  paid  a  visit  to  Mr.  Brant,  my  kind  host,  who 
had  the  kindness  to  introduce  me  to  His  Excellency,  the  above-men- 
tioned Pasha.  I  delivered  my  letter  from  the  Reis  Effendi  to  him. 
He  promised  me  every  assistance  in  his  power.  The  Russian  consul 
also  called  on  me.  On  the  llth  I  called  on  Colonel  Williams,  who 
had  first  called  on  me,  on  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Redhouse,  and  Mr.  Curzon, 
who  knew  Lady  Georgiana  at  Malta. 

On  this  evening  we  had  a  very  pleasant  party  at  Mr.  Zohrab's,  the 
dragoman  to  Mr.  Brant.  I  recollected  Mrs.  Zohrab  and  her  daugh- 
ters at  Malta.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  snow  at  Erzroom,  and  in  the 
country  around.  No  one  could  be  more  kind  than  Mr.  Brant  was  to 
me,  and  all  the  officers  of  the  consulate.  I  was  now  only  four  days 
distant  from  Mount  Ararat.  There  are  at  Erzroom  about  forty  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  mostly  Mussulmans,  six  thousand  Armenians,  and 
some  hundred  Armenian  catholics,  with  their  bishop.  I  may  also  as 
well  note  here  the  Etymon  of  Erzroom.  It  is  derived  from  Erz,  land, 
Room,  Rome,  indicating  that  it  was  part  of  the  Eastern  Roman  Em- 
pire ;  and  the  Greeks  are  to  this  day  called  by  the  Turks,  Room  ;  and 
in  Turkistaun  and  in  Persian  the  Sultan  of  the  Turkish  Empire  is 
called  the  Sultan  of  Room. 

Tuesday  the  12th,  I  baptized  the  child  of  Mrs.  Stagno,  and  prepared 
a  Jew,  who  went  by  the  name  of  Robinson  Crusoe's  servant,  Friday, 
for  baptism ;  he  was  servant  to  Colonel  Williams,  who  gave  him  a 
most  excellent  character.  Shah  Jemaal  Addeen,  of  the  celebrated 
family  of  derveeshes  named  Nakhsbande,  a  sheikh  from  Bokhara, 
called  on  me ;  he  told  me  that  I  should  find  my  friends  alive,  and  that 
he  would  give  me  letters. 

On  this  day  I  breakfasted  with  Colonel  Williams ;  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Redhouse,  and  Mr.  Brant  were  also  there ;  after  which,  Mr.  Brant 
the  consul,  Colonel  Williams  the  commissioner,  and  Mr.  Redhouse  the 
interpreter  to  the  commissioners,  and  myself,  mounted  our  horses,  and 
called  on  His  Excellency  the  Pasha  of  Erzroom,  Kamil  Pasha  by 
name.  I  was  dressed  in  my  canonicals.  On  entering  the  palace  of 
the  Pasha,  Envery  EfFendi,  the  commissioner  of  the  Sultan,  for  whom 
I  had  a  letter  from  the  Reis  Effendi,  was  also  there.  Both  the  Pasha 
and  the  commissioner  rose  on  our  entering  the  room,  and  shook  hands 
with  us  in  the  English  manner.  Chairs  were  offered  to  us,  we  sat 
down,  then  pipes,  coffee,  tea,  and  shirbet,  were  brought.  A  long  con- 
versation about  the  Arabic  and  Persian  literature  took  place,  also  on 
the  history  of  Muhammed,  the  Arabian  prophet,  and  on  my  travels 
through  Asia.  I  then  told  them  some  anecdotes  about  Frederic  II.,  and 
took  in  both  the  Pasha  and  the  commissioner  with  the  fish  and  the  ring. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  105 

His  Excellency  the  pasha  promised  to  defray  the  whole  expense  of 
my  journey  from  Erzroom  to  the  Persian  frontier,  and  to  send  two 
soldiers  with  me  at  his  own  expense.  My  dear  English  friends  here 
furnished  me  also  with  everything  necessary,  and  Messrs.  Brant, 
Williams,  Redhouse,  and  his  amiable  wife,  took  care  of  me  like  a 
brother. 

On  Wednesday  the  13th  I  dined  with  Colonel  Williams ;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Redhouse,  and  Messrs.  Calvert  and  Guarracino  also  dined  there. 
I  also  slept  that  night  at  Colonel  Williams's,  and  on  Thursday  the 
14th  of  December  I  gave  the  sacrament  to  the  Honourable  Robert 
Curzon  and  Mrs.  Redhouse.  In  the  afternoon  I  lectured  in  the  house 
of  Mr.  Brant,  where  Bekir  Pasha  and  Anwaree  Effendi  were  among 
the  hearers ;  and  as  Anwaree  Effendi  does  not  understand  English, 
Mr.  Redhouse  interpreted  every  sentence  to  him.  Messrs.  Peabody 
and  Jackson,  and  their  wives,  were  also  present. 

On  the  16th  I  wrote  as  follows  to  Captain  Grover : 

My  dear  Grover,  Erzroom,  Dec.  16,  1843. 

I  thought  it  would  be  the  easiest  way,  and  the  best,  to  have  my  letter  to 
Lady  Georgiana  copied  by  Mr.  Guarracino,  the  attache"  to  the  British  consulate  at 
Erzroom,  and  send  it  to  you.  You  will  also  herewith  find  inclosed  another  evidence 
of  eight  Bokhara  pilgrims,  which  I  got  to-day,  through  the  kindness  of  our  excellent 
consul,  Mr.  Brant,  with  regard  to  Colonel  Stoddart's  and  Conolly's  being  still  alive 
and  well  treated  at  Bokhara.  God  grant  that  it  may  be  so !  I  am,  however,  very 
much  encouraged  by  it. 

As  the  road  from  Erzroom  to  Tabreez  was  covered  with  snow,  Colonel  Williams 
most  kindly  furnished  me  with  a  suit  of  winter  clothing  and  boots,  &c.,  for  the  jour- 
ney ;  so  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  set  out  from  Erzroom  for  Tabreez  before  next 
Wednesday,  the  20th  of  December,  when  I  shall  leave  Erzroom  early  in  the  morn- 
ing. The  commissioner  of  the  King  of  Persia  has  also  furnished  me  with  letters  of 
introduction  to  his  friends  on  the  frontier  of  Persia,  and  at  Tabreez.  Mirza  Takee 
(this  is  the  name  of  the  commissioner)  knew  me  at  Tabreez,  and  was  aware  that  I 
took  with  me  from  Persia  Mirza  Ibraheem  to  England,  at  my  expense,  and  that  he 
is  now  professor  of  the  Persian  language  at  the  East  India  College,  near  Hertford — 
Haileybury. 

Yours,  affectionately, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

On  Sunday  the  17th  of  December  I  performed  again  divine  service 
in  the  British  consulate,  and  after  the  second  lesson  I  baptized  Israel 
Jacob,  the  above  named  servant  to  Colonel  Williams,  one  of  Her  Ma- 
jesty's commissioners  at  Erzroom.  Israel  Jacob  was  a  Jew  from 
Germany.  Colonel  Williams,  Mr.  Brant,  Her  Britannic  Majesty's 
consul  at  Erzroom,  and  Mrs.  Redhouse,  stood  as  witnesses.  I 
preached  also,  after  the  prayers  were  over,  a  sermon  on  the  personal 
reign  of  Christ  and  the  restoration  of  the  Jews.  In  the  afternoon  a 

14 


106  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

Muhammedan  from  Bokhara  called  on  me,  the  first  that  has  told  me 
that  he  had  heard  that  Colonel  Stoddart  had  been  killed. 

A  visit  to  Envery  Effendi,  the  commissioner  on  the  part  of  the  Turk- 
ish government,  prevented  my  writing  to  Captain  Grover  this  day. 
Mr.  Brant  and  Mr.  Zohrab  accompanied  me.  Envery  Effendi  was 
much  amused  with  my  carelessness,  and  that  I  should  have  come  to 
Erzroom  without  winter  clothing.  Envery  Effendi  also  gave  me 
letters  to  Balool,  pasha  of  Bayazid,  and  to  the  Turkish  consul  at 
Tabreez. 

I  delivered  this  afternoon  another  lecture  here  on  my  late  journey 
from  Bokhara  to  Calcutta,  when  again  not  only  the  English  commis- 
sioners but  also  Envery  Effendi  and  Bekir  Pasha  attended  it.  I  have 
also  circulated  here  in  Turkish  my  Call  to  the  Mussulman  Nation, 
which  was  published  in  Galignani  and  the  Herald.  Mr.  Redhouse 
has  kindly  translated  it,  and  another  translation  of  it  has  been  lihade 
into  the  Persian  tongue.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to  imagine  the  inter- 
est evinced  by  my  English  friends  here  in  my  mission.  I  only  wish 
to  be  enabled  to  show  my  gratitude  to  them  in  some  way  or  other. 
No  brother  can  be  more  kind  to  me  than  Mr.  Brant,  the  consul,  and 
Colonel  Williams. 

The  following  will  be  my  road,  by  the  blessing  of  God : 

Dec.  21  Hassan  Kaleh     ....        6  hours  18  miles. 

22  Khorassaun 8      „  24      „ 

24  Mullah  Soleiman         ...       15       „  45      „ 

25  Kara  Kleseah          ....?„  21      „ 

27  Diadeen       .        .        .        .        .       12  „  36  „ 

28  Bayazid 6  „  18  „ 

29  Awajik 8  „  24  „ 

30  Kara  Aineh 8  „  24  „ 

31  Zorahweh 8  „  24  „ 

Jan.  2,  1844.    Khoy 11  „  32  „ 

3  Taswej 8  farsang      32      „ 

4  Tawshea 6       „  24      „ 

5  Tabreez       .....        8      „  32      „ 

"374      „ 

By  this  plan  I  considered  that  I  should  be  on  the  7th  of  January  at 
Tabreez,  and  on  the  20th  of  January  at  Teheraun. 

December  19th.  Mrs.  Redhouse  was  kind  enough  to  put  together 
my  papers,  and  to  get  for  me  biscuits  and  warm  clothing.  In  short, 
both  this  lady  and  her  husband  took  care  of  me  like  brother  and  sis- 
ter. A  tremendous  snow-storm  in  the  night,  and  we  had  in  the  morn- 
ing  a  slight  earthquake.  I  found  that  I  should  not  be  enabled  to  set 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  107 

out  before  Thursday,  as  the  roads  were  blocked  up  with  snow.  Last 
night,  for  a  whole  hour,  many  guns  were  fired  every  five  minutes,  in 
order  to  warn  the  poor  travellers  of  the  situation  of  the  citadel,  to  save 
them  from  snow  drifts,  as  there  are  great  quantities  of  marshes,  &c. 
I  received  this  day  a  note  from  Mr.  Brant,  the  consul.  He  wrote  to 
me : 

A  poor  French  doctor,  who  persisted  in  starting  yesterday  for  Kars,  is,  I  fear,  lost 
in  Deveh  Bouyoon,  a  mountain  near  Erzroom ;  he  got  before  his  people,  who  re- 
turned, but  there  is  no  news  of  him.  The  pasha  sent  out  people  to  look  for  him,  &c. 

JAMES  BRANT. 

I  was  clothed  by  Colonel  Williams's  kindness  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  in  an  aba,  trousers  made  immensely  large,  a  waistcoat  and  coat 
of  the  same.  The  coat  is  precisely  the  form  of  a  shooting  jacket : 
over  this  a  large  loose  coat,  sleeves  and  body  entirely  lined  with  fur 
of  wolf's  skin  ;  thus  I  was  a  Wolff  in  wolf's  clothing  :  round  my 
waist  a  large  woollen  shawl.  On  my  feet,  first  of  all  some  thick 
worsted  stockings,  light  boots  lined  with  fur,  over  all  large  leather 
boots  like  the  Horse  Guards,  that  came  up  to  my  hips  :  attached  to 
my  fur  coat  was  a  hood  to  draw  over  my  fur  cap  when  travelling,  and 
a  large  pair  of  fur  gloves  sown  to  my  coat.  With  all  this,  my  friends 
believed  me  to  be  snow  proof.  Mr.  Curzon  told  me  that  I  looked  like 
a  gentleman  on  a  shooting  expedition.  Should  I  be  detained  till  after 
Christmas,  the  hospitable  Mrs.  Redhouse  promised  me  a  good  Christ- 
mas dinner ;  roast  beef,  plum  pudding,  mince  pies,  &c. 

On  the  21st  I  wrote  to  my  kind  friend,  Captain  Grover,  the  follow, 
ing  letter : 

My  dear  Grover,  Erzroom,  Dec.  21,  1843. 

A  more  active  and  benevolent  fellow  than  yourself  is  not  existing ;  I  therefore 
write  to  you  on  a  particular  subject.  My  host  here,  James  Brant,  Esq.,  Her  British 
Majesty's  consul  at  Erzroom,  is  a  most  excellent,  educated,  and  philanthropic  gen- 
tleman, through  whose  activity  and  exertions  the  commerce  between  Turkey  and 
Persia  has  been  most  considerably  increased  and  facilitated.  Through  his  endeav- 
ours, six  new  consulships  have  been  established  in  the  interior  of  the  Turkish  empire, 
in  places  the  most  bigoted,  and  I  can  bear  witness  to  the  fact,  that  the  spirit  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Erzroom  has  considerably  been  changed  for  the  better.  Formerly  no 
European  could  have  gone  out  in  his  European  dress ;  now  a  European  is  respected. 
The  streets  have  been  made  better,  and  the  commerce  between  Turkey  and  Persia 
has  considerably  increased. 

As  the  consul-general  of  Tripolis  in  Barbary,  Colonel  Warrington,  is  an  old 
gentleman,  and  probably  to  be  soon  pensioned  off,  I  should  be  much  obliged  to  you 
if  you  would  be  kind  enough  to  recommend  him,  by  means  of  your  other  friends,  to 
the  Foreign  Office.  He  is  very  anxious  to  contribute  towards  the  abolition  of 


108  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

slavery  in  Africa,  and  also  to  establish  consulships  hi  the  ulterior  of  Africa.    Pray 
do  so. 

The  horses  for  my  departure,  and  the  two  officers  of  the  Pasha  (cavasses)  are 
already  ordered  to  accompany  me  to  Bayazid,  but  the  snow  is  still  so  great,  that 
neither  caravans  go  or  come,  and  therefore  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  set  out  this 
week  on  my  journey.  I  am  exceedingly  vexed,  but  it  cannot  be  helped.  Colonel 
Williams  has  also  written  to  Sir  Stratford  Canning,  that  they  were  obliged  to  keep 
me  from  going  almost  by  force. 

Yours  affectionately, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

On  the  22nd,  I  received  from  my  excellent  friend,  Colonel  Williams, 
the  subjoined  communication : 

My  dear  Dr.  Wolff,  Erzeroom,  Dec.  22nd,  1843. 

I  send  you  a  pair  of  saddle-bags,  and  will  request  the  Pasha  to  allow  my 
cavass  to  affix  a  Turkish  and  Persian  copy  of  your  address  to  the  Mussulmans,  at 
the  gate  of  the  principal  Persian  khaun  (better  than  palace  or  mosque). 

I  am  sorry  you  did  not  think  of  it  before,  and  I  recommend  you  to  cause  to  be 
posted  up  this  document,  the  moment  you  arrive  at  Tabreez  and  Teheran. 

You  will  find  your  sheep-skin  "  sleeping-bag  "  in  the  saddle-bag  ;  and  pray,  my 
dear  doctor,  DO  NOT  FORGET  TO  PUT  YOUR  FEET  INTO  IT  ! 

With  regard  to  your  last  question,  I  have  not  and  shall  not  ask  or  allow  any 
person  to  club  with  me.  I  consider  it  my  duty  as  a  British  officer  to  assist  in  every 
possible  manner,  to  forward  your  most  praiseworthy  and  courageous  attempt  to 
release  or  discover  the  fate  of  my  brother  officers — for,  recollect,  we  are  all  brothers 
in  the  army. 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

W.  F.  WILLIAMS. 

P.S.  I  do  not  think  you  can  set  out  to-morrow.  When  my  cavass  gets  permis- 
sion he  will  come  to  you  for  the  two  copies,  and  then  affix  them  to  the  khauu. 

The  address  alluded  to  in  this  letter,  which  I  subjoin,  was  circulated 
among  the  Muhammedans  in  the  Turkish  Empire,  Persia,  and  Kho- 
rassaun,  and  from  thence  sent  by  Muhammedans  to  Affghanistaun, 
Cabul,  Cashmeer,  and  Bokhara. 

Followers  of  Islam  ! 

In  the  whole  of  the  Turkish  Empire,  Arabia,  and  Affghanistaun,  you 
remember  me  well.  I  have  been  among  you  at  Damascus,  Egypt,  Aleppo,  Bagdad, 
Isfahan,  Bokhara,  Cabul,  and  Hindustaun.  I  have  conversed  on  the  coming  of 
Jesus  Christ  with  Muhammedans,  Jews,  Parsees,  and  Hindus.  I  have  been  well 
received,  though  differing  in  religious  sentiments,  by  the  Grand  Mogul  of  Delhi  and 
the  Shah  of  Persia,  the  Grand  Mullahs  of  Bagdad,  Constantinople,  Isfahan, 
Cashmeer,  and  Bokhara.  I  have  been  to  the  utmost  boundaries  of  the  world,  even 
to  America,  which  is  situated  on  the  other  side  of  the  Ocean,  exhorting  people  to  do 
good,  and  to  repent  for  the  sake  of  Jesus.  And  having  learnt  that  two  British 
officers  of  high  merit,  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  have  been  put  to  death 
by  order  of  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  and  also  a  Neapolitan  officer,  Cavaliere  Naselli 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  109 

by  name,  I  am  going  to  the  Great  Bokhara  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  that  report  ; 
for  I  cannot  believe  it,  as  I  was  well  received  at  Bokhara,  and  with  great  hospitality. 
Besides  this,  such  an  act  is  against  the  rites  of  hospitality,  so  sacredly  observed  by 
Muhammedans.  I  go  there  to  demand  the  bodies  of  these  people  if  alive,  and 
if  dead  to  demand  the  reason  of  their  death.  The  Sultan  of  Constantinople,  whose 
life  may  God  preserve,  and  the  Sheikh-Islam,  whose  life  may  God  preserve,  have 
given  me  letters  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  and  to  the  Grand  Mullahs  of  that  town. 
I  call  now  on  all  the  Muhammedan  Princes  and  Mullahs  throughout  the  world  to 
send  letters  of  recommendation  on  my  part  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  that  he  may 
receive  me  well. 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

The  terrible  state  of  the  weather  prevented  my  departure,  for  which 
event  I  was  most  feverishly  anxious,  as  I  considered  that  possibly  the 
fate  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  depended  on  my  speed.  Anxious  beyond 
measure  that  I  might  appear  to  realize  to  the  full  the  noble  and  phi- 
lanthropic views  of  those  who  had  dispatched  me,  I  addressed  to  Cap- 
tain Grover  the  following  letter  : 

My  dear  Grover,  Erzroom,  Dec.  25,  1843. 

About  ten  people  have  been  brought  to  Erzroom  dead,  from  the  road  of 
Tabreez  and  Trebizond,  so  that  you  will  not  wonder  that  my  dear  friends  here, 
Colonel  Williams  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Redhouse  and  Mr.  James  Brant,  did  not  allow 
me  to  start  till  now  for  Tabreez  ;  but  I  shall  leave  this  on  the  27th  instant.  Colonel 
Williams  has  furnished  me  with  an  entire  suit  of  warm  clothing.  Not  less  than 
thirteen  people  from  Bokhara  have  given  the  assurance  to  Mr.  Stephens,  the  vice- 
consul  of  Trebizond,  that  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  are  alive  ;  and  I 
rejoice  to  learn  that  also  Lord  Aberdeen  has  great  hopes  of  their  being  alive,  as  I 
perceive  by  his  despatches  sent  to  Colonel  Sheil  through  the  British  embassy  at 
Constantinople,  and  from  thence  to  Colonel  Williams,  with  the  request  of  allowing 
me  to  read  the  documents. 

Give  my  love  to  every  member  of  the  Committee,  and  to  your  family. 

Yours  affectionately, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

I  think  that  I  have  already  mentioned  to  you  that  the  Pasha  of  Erzroom  pays  all 
the  expense  of  my  journey  as  far  as  Persia. 

The  weather  continued  in  unmitigated  severity  until  Christmas. 
Stragglers  were  daily  brought  in  from  the  roads  dead,  and  my  kind 
and  excellent  friends  in  Erzroom  would  not  permit  me  to  depart.  On 
Christmas  eve,  which  I  spent  with  Colonel  Williams,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Redhouse,  and  Bekir  Pasha,  we  all  wrote  to  Lady  Georgiana,  and  by 
way  of  illustrating  the  feeling  that  prevailed  among  us,  I  subjoin  our 
communications  verbatim : 

My  dearest  Georgiana,  Erzroom,  Christmas  Evening,  1843. 

You  will  be  surprised  that  I  am  still  here  at  Erzroom,  but  there  was  such  a 
tremendous  snow  storm  that  stragglers  are  daily  brought  in  from  the  road  who  were 
found  dead  in  the  street,  so  that  my  dear  and  excellent  friends  here  who  took  and 


110  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

still  are  taking  a  most  lively  interest  in  my  present  mission  into  Bokhara,  did  not 
allow  me  to  start  ;  however,  now,  God  be  praised,  there  is  fine  weather,  and  I  shall 
start  next  Wednesday,  i.  e.  after  to-morrow.  However,  all  is  for  good,  for  to-day 
Colonel  Williams  received  dispatches  from  Sir  Stratford  Canning,  inclosing  letters 
from  Lord  Aberdeen  for  Colonel  Sheil,  in  which  letters  I  am  mentioned,  and  in 
which  he  expresses  a  hope  that  Colonel  Stoddart  or  both  are  alive,  so  that  I  shall 
have  full  protection  from  Colonel  Sheil.  I  have  already  written  to  you  of  the  very, 
very  great  kindness  I  have  received  here  from  Colonel  Williams,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Red- 
house,  and  Mr.  Brant.  As  Colonel  Williams  and  Mrs.  Redhouse  will  add  some  lines 
to  you,  and  as  I  have  so  often  written  to  you,  I  will  close  my  letter,  and  only  men- 
tion that  as  despatches  are  sent  from  the  Foreign  Office  twice  a  month,  you  will  be 
kind  enough  to  embrace  this  opportunity  to  write  to  your  most  affectionate  husband, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

At  the  particular  request  of  Dr.  Wolff,  I  have  ventured  on  rather  an  awkward 
employment,  in  addressing  Your  Ladyship  without  the  pleasure  of  a  previous  ac- 
quaintance, but  feeling  assured  that  even  the  testimony  of  a  perfect  stranger,  in  the 
present  case,  must  prove  welcome,  it  gives  me  real  pleasure  to  report  our  good  and 
benevolent  friend  in  excellent  health  and  spirits,  and  that  we  have  done  all  in  our 
power  to  render  his  sojourn  hi  this  frozen  region  as  pleasant  as  we  (birds  of  passage 
ourselves)  are  able,  and  I  am  sure  the  heart  of  every  English  person  must  ejaculate 
the  fervent  prayer  that  his  perilous  mission  may  meet  its  reward,  at  least  as  far  as 
this  world  can  bestow,  but  we  must  look  to  a  higher  tribunal  for  eternal  reward  ; 
trusting  that  yourself  and  son  may  be  supported  by  good  reports  during  his  absence, 
believe  me, 

Yours  most  truly, 

JANE  E.  C.  REDHOUSE. 

Erzeroom,  Christmas  Day,  1843. 

Doctor  Wolff  having  spent  this  evening  in  our  circle,  and  called  upon  us  for 
our  testimony  with  respect  to  his  health,  I  am  happy  to  say  he  is  in  perfect  health 
and  has  met  with  many  very  encouraging  reports  relating  to  the  object  of  his  most 
Christian  journey.  May  the  Almighty  grant  he  may  spend  next  Christmas  in  his 
own  family  circle,  after  full  success  and  a  safe  and  happy  return  to  England  with 
the  objects  of  his  solicitude. 

J.  W.  REDHOUSE. 


tat 


Sty  JJK 


OF   DR.   WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  Ill 


J". 


Madam,  Erzeroom,  Dec.  25th,  1843. 

Dr.  Wolff  will  have  informed  your  ladyship  of  all  that  has  occurred  since  his 
arrival  in  Erzeroom,  and  I  have  therefore  simply  to  add  (agreeably  to  his  request), 
that  every  preparation  is  made  for  his  departure  on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  when 
I  shall  accompany  him  through  the  first  pass  on  his  road  to  Tabreez,  and  there  wish 
him  success,  commensurate  to  his  most  sanguine  expectations,  in  his  benevolent  and 
courageous  mission  to  Bokhara. 

The  encouragement  which  Dr.  Wolff  has  received  to  persevere  in  this  benevolent 
undertaking,  is  as  pleasing  to  his  friends  as  it  is  consoling  to  himself. 

I  remain,  your  ladyship's  faithful  servant, 

W.  F.  WILLIAMS. 

Bekir  Pasha,  who  signed  the  above  letter,  is  the  chief  of  the  artil- 
lery. Thirteen  people  from  Bokhara  in  all  have  now  given  me  their 
assurance  that  Stoddart  and  Conolly  are  alive.  A  gentleman  from 
Trebizond  sent  me  here  five  hundred  piastres,  which  I  received  on 
Christmas  eve,  for  the  object  of  my  mission.  I  trust  I  shall  not  omit 
to  record  any  instance  of  kindness  received,  but  if  I  do,  a  traveller's 
hurried  life  must  plead  my  excuse.  The  Pasha  of  Erzroom  has 
drawn  out  a  call  on  all  the  Mussulmans,  exhorting  them  to  take  an 
interest  in  my  present  mission.  If  the  kindness  of  every  class  of  re- 
ligionists on  earth  can  preserve  a  life,  I  feel  that  mine  will  be  so,  and 
that  I  go  to  Bokhara  with  a  moral  force  that  amounts  to  the  full  meas- 
ure of  political  power. 

From  this  place  I  wrote  to  the  Bishop  of  London,  beseeching  him 
to  send  a  clergyman  to  Erzroom,  for  the  British  consulate.  To  my 
most  beloved  friend,  Sir  T.  Baring,  commending  Mr.  Brant's  interests 
to  his  charge.  Also  to  Henry  Drummond,  on  various  matters  of  re- 

*  The  above  Turkish  is  from  Bekir  Pasha,  who  was  educated  hi  England.  The 
letter  contains  nothing  more  than  ordinary  compliments. 


112  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

ligious  interest.  On  the  morning  of  Christmas  day,  I  administered 
the  sacrament  to  seven  English  people,  and  the  Jew  whom  I  had  bap- 
tized. This  took  place  at  Mr.  Brant  the  consul's  private  house,  un- 
der whose  hospitable  roof  I  remained  seventeen  days.  Before  I  left 
Erzroom  I  published  also  the  following  address  to  the  Armenian 
nation : 

Descendants  of  Hayk  and  Followers  of  Gregory  Lusaworitsh,  Mearop, 

Moses  Vocazer,  and  Nerses  Shnorhaale  ! 

I  have  been  declared  the  friend  of  the  Armenians  by  public  letters  of  your  late 
venerable  Katokhikos  Ephrem,  and  Nerses,  the  present  Katokhikos  of  Ech  Miazin ; 
and  my  having  established  schools  for  you  at  Bussorah  and  Busheer,  prove  that  I 
was  your  friend,  and  am  still  your  friend.  I  have,  therefore,  to  address  to  you  the 
following  petition.  I  am  now  going  to  Bokhara  for  the  purpose  of  ransoming 
Colonel  Stoddart,  Captain  Conolly,  and  Cavaliere  Naselli.  From  having  been  a 
Jew,  it  gives  me  particular  pleasure  to  prove  to  the  Gentile  world,  that  I  love  my 
Saviour,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  being  ready  to  lay  down  my  life  for  the  brethren 
Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews.  Knowing  that  the  Armenians  of  Astrachan,  Orenbourg, 
and  Moscow,  are  hi  correspondence  with  merchants  of  Bokhara,  I  beg  you,  and 
particularly  your  Archbishop  Serope  at  Astrachan,  to  write  to  the  few  Armenians 
residing  at  Bokhara,  and  also  to  recommend  me  to  the  great  Emperor  Nicholas 
Paulowitch,  that  he  also  may  recommend  me  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  so  that 
His  Majesty  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  may  be  induced  to  deliver  up  the  above-men- 
tioned officers. 

Your  affectionate  brother  hi  Christ, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

Before  the  late  war  of  the  Russians  with  Turkey,  there  were  sev- 
eral thousand  families  of  Russians  at  Erzroom,  but  General  Paske- 
witch,  on  his  return  to  Russia,  advised  the  Armenian  bishop,  and  the 
rest  of  the  Armenian  population  of  Erzroom  and  the  adjacent  coun- 
try, to  follow  him  into  Russia.  Above  90,000  families  of  Armenians 
in  the  Turkish  Empire  followed  the  call  of  that  hero,  and  they  settled 
in  Georgia,  Karabagh,  and  other  parts  of  the  Russian  Empire. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  113 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Departure  from  Erzroom,  December  27.  Kerujak  ;  Hassan  Kaleh  ;  Komassor  ; 
Dehli  Baba ;  Armenian  Marriage  at  this  last  Village.  Taher,  a  Kurd  Village. 
Mullah  Soleiman,  an  Armenian  Village.  Kara  Klesea  ;  Kolassur ;  Utah  Kelesea ; 
Diadeen  ;  Ghizl-Deesa.  Tremendous  Snow  Storm.  Awajick ;  Karaine  ;  Sehr 
Abad ;  Khoy  Tashwish ;  Tawsar ;  Tabreez.  Visit  to  an  old  Acquaintance  in 
Prison,  Muhammed  Khan  Kerahe.  Autograph  of  the  Khan,  giving  his  Descent. 
Birth  of  Ghengis  Khan.  Timur ;  the  Derivation  of  his  Name.  Falsity  of  tho 
Statement  of  Saleh  Muhammed.  No  certain  Information  of  Stoddart  and  Con- 
olly.  Letters  of  Introduction  to  Bokhara.  Letter  to  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Com- 
mittee. Armenian  Festival  and  Khalshauran,  or  Washing  of  the  Cross.  St. 
Nierses  of  Lampron ;  Life  and  Writings  of  this  learned  Armenian  Prelate.  Decay 
of  Muhammedanism.  Departure  from  Tabreez,  January  20th.  Seydabad.  Tek- 
metash.  Awful  Storm.  Kulagh.  Conversation  with  Derveesh.  Tata  Sultan, 
Kemaalee  Howdbeen.  Opinions  of  Mussulmans  changed  with  respect  to  the  Gia- 
ours. Turkman-Jaa ;  Miana ;  Sanjoon  ;  Khoramtarah  ;  Chaldaeans  ;  Meeting 
with  their  Metropolitan  ;  their  Descent  from  Israel.  Ceremonies  and  Doctrine  of 
the  Chaldsean  Church.  St.  Thomas  the  Apostle.  Siyadehen ;  Kasween  ;  Sephir 
Khaja. 

QUITTING  Erzroom  on  the  27th,  I  waded  through  the  snowy  moun- 
tains from  Armenia  unto  the  frontier  of  Persia.  My  hardships  were 
fully  equal  to  those  I  experienced  on  the  route  to  Erzroom,  where  the 
Turk  that  accompanied  me  by  the  side  of  my  horse  made  me  climb 
over  various  precipices,  where  I  was  compelled  for  safety  to  creep 
upon  my  stomach. 

In  leaving  on  this  day  the  truly  hospitable  dwelling  of  Mr.  Brant, 
two  fine  stately  cavasses  of  the  Pasha  (to  whom  I  was  ordered  by  the 
Pasha  not  to  give  a  farthing,  as  he  would  pay  them  himself),  were  in 
readiness  outside  the  British  consulate,  on  horseback,  smoking  their 
pipes.  Colonel  Williams  had  come  on  horseback  to  the  consulate, 
with  one  of  his  servants.  I  then  mounted  my  horse,  and  so  did  my 
Servian  servant,  Michael,  crossing  himself  and  calling  on  the  Virgin 
and  St.  George  for  protection,  not  omitting  St.  Nicholas,  the  patron 
saint  of  Servia.  The  snow  was  still  so  high  that  I  wanted  to  go  on 
foot,  but  Colonel  Williams  said  to  me,  in  a  commanding  voice,  "  Nev- 
er go  down  from  your  horse,  for  as  long  as  you  see  that  your  other 
horse  will  be  able  to  carry  your  baggage,  this  one  will  also  be  able  to 
carry  you.  And  beside  this,  imagine  that  you  have  behind  you  the 
people  of  Muhammed  Kerahi  of  Torbad,  driving  you  with  their  whip." 

15 


114  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

This  allusion  to  my  old  persecutor  made  me  smile  and  obey.  Colonel 
Williams  accompanied  me  to  a  distance  of  six  miles,  just  to  the  spot 
where,  eight  days  before  my  departure,  a  French  physician  and  ten 
muleteers  had  perished  in  the  snow ;  and  then  Colonel  Williams  dis- 
mounted from  his  horse,  gave  me  a  glass  of  Tenedos  wine  to  drink, 
drank  my  health,  shook  hands  cordially  with  me,  and  returned  to 
Erzroom.  I  continued  my  journey,  accompanied  by  the  above-men- 
tioned  cavasses,  one  mile  further  to  a  village  called  Kerujak,  where 
we  slept  in  the  stable  of  a  kind-hearted  Turk ;  but  the  stables  in  Tur- 
key have  elevations  made  on  purpose  for  travellers,  where  they  are 
not  exposed  to  the  danger  of  being  kicked  by  the  horses,  and  these 
elevated  places  are  pretty  clean.  A  good  pilaw  was  brought  to  me  in 
the  evening. 

In  the  morning  of  the  28th,  we  rose  with  the  sun,  and  continued 
our  journey,  but  the  snow  was  still  so  high  that  I  certainly  would 
have  followed  the  bent  of  my  inclination,  and  walked  on  foot,  if  Colo- 
nel Williams  had  not  made  me  promise  not  to  descend  from  my  horse, 
as  long  as  the  other  could  carry  my  baggage.  I  kept  my  eyes  stea- 
dily fixed  on  the  other  horse,  and  perceiving  that  he  waded,  though 
with  difficulty,  through  the  snow,  I  remained  firm,  and  thus  we  ar- 
rived that  day  six  miles  distant,  to  a  place  called  Hassan  Kaleh, 
where  we  again  resided  with  a  Turk. 

On  the  29lh  of  December  we  travelled  as  far  as  Komassor,  where 
we  slept  in  the  house  of  an  Armenian,  whose  room  was  not  as  clean 
as  the  stables  of  the  Turks.  There  are  only  thirty  houses  of  the  Ar- 
menians in  this  place. 

December  30th  we  arrived  at  Dehli  Baba,  where  I  again  slept  in 
the  house  of  an  Armenian.  There  are  here  thirty-five  families  and 
three  priests.  Most  of  the  Armenians  were  gone  on  horseback  to  a 
neighbouring  village,  to  fetch  a  bride,  accompanying  her,  with  mu- 
sical instruments  and  clapping  of  hands,  to  their  own  village.  The 
next  day,  December  31st,  the  road  was  so  thickly  covered  with  snow, 
that  I  was  obliged  to  take  with  me  two  Armenians  to  drag  me  with 
my  horse  through  the  snow,  until  we  arrived  a  distance  of  six  miles, 
at  the  village  called  Taher  inhabited  by  Kurds.  We  slept  in  the 
house  of  one  of  the  Kurds,  who  scarcely  gave  us  anything  to  eat. 
even  for  money,  and  certainly  would  have  plundered  me,  if  I  had 
come  without  the  men  of  the  Pasha  of  Erzroom. 

January  1st,  1844.  I  arrived  on  this  day  at  Mullah  Soleiman,  in- 
habited by  Armenians,  who  two  hundred  years  ago  were  all  converted 
to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith  by  a  Romish  missionary,  Soleiman  by 
name,  from  whom  the  place  took  its  appellation.  The  priest  of  the 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  115 

place,  a  well-informed  man,  was  ordained  by  Abraham,  Bishop  of 
Merdeen,  whom  I  knew  twenty  years  ago,  when  at  Merdeen,  in  Meso- 
potamia. This  kind  priest  expressed  his  regret  at  my  not  having 
taken  up  my  abode  in  his  own  domicile. 

January  2nd,  I  arrived  at  Kara  Klesea,  where  a  church  was  estab- 
lished, according  to  tradition,  by  the  preaching  of  the  apostle  Thad- 
deus.  The  place  is  called  in  Armenian,  Pakre-Ant. 

Jan.  3rd.  Arrived  at  Kolassur,  a  place  colonized  by  Persians  from 
Erivan,  who  left  Erivan  in  1827,  in  order  not  to  be  subjects  of  the 
Russian  government.  The  mullah  of  the  place  called  on  me.  He 
knew  how  to  read  the  Koran  without  understanding  it,  and  he  was 
surprised  when  I  translated  to  him  some  parts  of  the  Koran  from  the 
Arabic  into  Persian.  I  then  spoke  with  him  about  the  merits  of  the 
Gospel. 

January  4th,  I  arrived  at  Utsh-Kelesea  (three  churches),  a  convent, 
called  Wank  in  Armenian,  where  Gregory  the  Enlightener  converted 
many  thousands  of  the  Parsees  and  Armenians  to  the  faith  in  Christ ; 
and  there  also  King  Tiridates  was  converted  by  St.  Gregory,  and 
baptized  in  the  Euphrates,  which  flows  there.  This  Utsh-Kelesea 
must  not  be  confounded  with  Utsh-Kelesea,  or  Etsh-Miazin,  near 
Erivan. 

The  superior  of  Utsh-Kelesea  recognised  me  from  my  former  visit 
in  1831,  when  I  was  sick  three  days  in  that  convent,  and  at  that  time 
accompanied  by  a  priest  called  Simon  to  Tabreez.  I  refreshed  my- 
self now  again  among  the  pious  and  exemplary  inmates  of  that  con- 
vent  for  a  whole  day,  and  then  set  out,  on  the  5th  of  January,  for 
Diadeen,  a  miserable  village  entirely  inhabited  by  domiciled  Kurds, 
where  I  lodged  in  the  house  of  a  very  civil,  kind-hearted,  and  hospi- 
table Kurd.  One  hour  after  our  arrival,  two  soldiers  arrived  from 
Bayazid,  on  their  way  to  Erzroom,  and  as  the  inhabitants  of  the  vil- 
lages are  always  obliged  to  furnish  the  soldiers  gratis  with  horses  to  the 
next  station,  my  Kurdish  host  ordered  one  of  his  men  not  to  suffer  the 
postman  who  brought  me  and  my  people  to  go  away  in  the  morning 
with  his  horses  without  taking  the  two  soldiers  with  him  back  as  far 
as  Kara-Klesea,  whence  I  came ;  and  therefore  enjoined  his  servant 
to  have  a  good  look  out  during  the  night,  in  order  that  the  postman 
from  Kara-Klesea  might  not  be  able  to  take  the  horses  out  of  the  sta- 
ble in  a  stealthy  manner,  which  they  are  accustomed  to  do.  How- 
ever, sleep  overcame  the  servant  at  night,  and  as  I  was  not  able  to 
sleep  that  night,  I  saw  the  postman  coming  into  the  stable  and  taking 
away  the  horses  ;  but  not  having  been  aware  at  the  time  of  the  ar- 
rangement made  by  my  landlord,  took  no  notice  of  it.  One  hour 


116  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

after  the  departure  of  the  postman  the  servant  awoke,  and  perceiving 
the  horses  taken  away,  he  exclaimed,  "  Pesevenk  !"  i.  e.  Ruffian, 
and  gave  the  alarm,  but  it  was  too  late ;  and  in  the  morning  the  two 
soldiers  from  Bayazid  demanded  for  awhile  to  have  those  horses  which 
were  to  take  me  on ;  but  I  gained  the  point,  and  two  very  bad  horses 
were  given  to  the  soldiers,  and  I  set  out  for  Ghizl-Deesa,  a  most  mise- 
rable Kurdish  village,  where  our  two  cavasses  were  obliged  to  beat 
one  of  the  Kurds  with  a  whip  in  order  to  convince  him  of  the  neces- 
sity of  affording  to  us  a  shelter  in  his  house.  Scarcely  had  we  entered 
his  house  before  clouds  covered  the  sky  so  rapidly,  and  snow  fell  to 
such  a  degree,  that  actually  a  person  could  not  see  his  neighbour 
standing  near  him ;  so  that,  snugly  settled  in  a  warm  stable,  I  ex- 
claimed, "  Al-hamdoo  Lellah  Rabb-ul-Alemeen"  (Praise  to  God  the 
creator  of  the  world  !)  "  that  I  am  already  in  the  house."  My  Kur- 
dish host  observed,  "  If  I  had  known  before  that  this  European  says, 
'  Al-hamdoo  Lellah  Rabb-ul-Alemeen/  I  would  have  taken  him  in  at 
once."  However,  one  hour  after,  the  sky  cleared  up  again,  and  it 
ceased  to  snow,  when  I  heard  a  voice  from  the  street  asking  whether 
no  Englishman  had  arrived  ;  and  immediately  after  a  courier  (gholam) 
sent  from  Colonel  Sheil,  of  Teheraun,  with  despatches  for  Erzroom, 
entered  the  room  and  told  me  that  a  mehmoondar*  had  been  sent  to 
Awajick  from  the  Prince  of  Tabreez,  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Bonham, 
with  an  order  (rakum)  to  furnish  me  with  horses  as  far  as  Tabreez. 

January  7th,  I  arrived  at  Awajick,  where  I  was  very  hospitably 
received  by  the  governor,  Khaleefa  Koole  Khan.  At  Awajick  I  dis- 
missed the  two  cavasses  from  the  Pasha  of  Erzroom,  and  though  I 
was  not  obliged  to  give  them  one  farthing,  I  gave  to  them  a  present  of 
two  hundred  piastres,  and  they  returned  to  Erzroom  ;  and  I  contin- 
ued my  journey  with  Ismael  Beyk,  the  mehmoondar  of  the  Prince 
of  Tabreez,  towards  that  city. 

January  8th,  we  slept  in  the  miserable  Persian  village  called  Ka- 
raine.  January  9th,  we  arrived  at  Sohr-Abad.  On  the  10th  at  Khoy, 
where  I  lodged  in  the  splendid  house  of  my  old  acquaintance  Soleiman 
Khan,  now  governor  of  Khoy,  who  is  a  freemason,  though  a  Muham 
medan.  He  treated  me  at  supper  with  excellent  wine.  He  told  me 
that  on  my  arrival  at  Teheraun,  it  would  be  worth  while  to  make  the 
acquaintance  of  a  renowned  derveesh,  Mirza  Naser  Ullah  Sadder 
Almemalek,  after  I  had  called  on  the  Haje,  the  prime  minister  of  Mu- 
hammed  Shah,  for  the  latter  is  the  former's  enemy,  and  if  I  was  to 
call  first  on  the  former,  the  latter  might  be  offended.  In  the  night 

*  From  mehmoon,  a  guest,  and  dar,  having  ;  a  person  sent  to  prepare  a  lodging 
for  another. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  117 

time  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  same  house  where  I  slept,  and  a  consider- 
able part  of  the  house  was  burnt  down,  but  I  slept  so  soundly  from 
being  tired  out  by  the  journey  and  cold,  that  I  knew  nothing  about  it 
till  the  morning,  when  the  fire  was  extinguished,  and  I  was  informed 
of  it. 

January  llth,  I  arrived  at  Tashwish;  on  the  12th  at  Tawsaj ;  and 
on  the  13th  at  Tabreez. 

The  news  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  in  this  place  (Tabreez)  did  not 
amount  to  more,  however  singular  it  may  appear,  than  mere  repeti- 
tions of  accounts  in  Galignani,  and  other  European  newspapers.  I 
found  here  the  Times,  Herald,  Post,  and  Chronicle,  all  which  papers 
may  be  gratified  to  learn  that  they  circulate  in  Tabreez. 

I  was  introduced,  on  January  15th,  to  the  Prince  of  Tabreez  and 
the  chief  mullah,  who  promised  to  furnish  me  letters  for  Meshed.  At 
this  place  I  received  for  the  first  time  the  communication  from  Lieuten- 
ant Eyre,  already  given.  Here  also  I  received  the  following  kind 
letter  from  the  excellent  Colonel  Williams,  from  Erzroom. 

My  dear  Dr.  Wolff,  Erzeroom,  Jan.  29<A,  1844. 

I  have  the  pleasure  of  forwarding  the  inclosed  letters,  which  I  received  last 
night  from  the  embassy,  and -trust  that  the  ones  with  black  borders  will  not  provo 
the  bearers  of  bad  tidings. 

The  ambassador  tells  me  that  you  have  been  loud  in  your  praises  at  my  humble 
efforts  to  do  my  duty  when  you  were  with  us.  I  only  regret  I  could  not  render  you 
more  efficient  service. 

I  got  your  letter  of  Awajik,  and  am  happy  to  find  that  you  had  met  with  no 
disasters  on  the  road  thus  far,  and  had  moreover  received  so  good  a  reception  on  the 
Persian  soil.  The  Pasha  and  Mirza  Takke  send  you  their  compliments  in  return 
for  yours,  which  I  presented  to  them.  They  are  both  really  amiable  men,  and  seem 
duly  impressed  with  the  benevolence  and  risk  of  your  arduous  enterprise. 

I  sent  off  by  the  last  post  a  letter  to  Captain  Grover,  giving  him  the  latest  news 
of  your  progress  towards  the  goal  of  your  mission ;  and  told  him  what  tremendous 
weather  we  had  experienced  since  your  departure,  even  as  late  as  the  day  before 
yesterday.  Our  post  got  in  late  last  night  (Sunday !)  and  the  Tatar  who  carried 
the  last  Turkish  post  from  this  to  Trebizond  was  stopped  at  Hashapanar,  and  nearly 
perished  on  the  spot  where  the  last  one  lost  his  life. 

The  Perso-Turkish  affair  goes  on  slowly,  but  I  trust  surely,  and  when  you  come 
back  I  doubt  your  finding  the  illustrious  body  of  statesmen  who  enlivened  Erze- 
room when  you  sojourned  there  !  Nous  verrons.  The  Redhouses  send  their 
regards. 

Believe  me,  ever  yours, 

W.  F.  WILLIAMS. 

I  had  here  the  satisfaction  of  transmitting  to  my  son  an  autograph 
letter  from  the  Sheikh  Islam  to  the  Sheikh  Islam  in  Daghestaun,  for 
as  I  had  abandoned  that  route  it  became  useless.  I  sent  to  him  also  & 


118  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

beautiful  golden  compass  and  telescope,  given  to  me  by  dear  Sir 
Stratford  Canning. 

On  my  introduction,  as  stated  above,  to  his  Royal  Highness  Bah- 
man  Meerza,  Prince  Governor  of  Tabreez,  he  was  pleased  to  receive 
me  most  graciously,  and  his  vizier  called  upon  me.  I  paid,  on  the 
16th,  by  the  especial  permission  of  the  Prince,  a  visit  to  an  old  ac- 
quaintance, Muhammed  Khan  Kerahe,  of  Torbad  Hydarea.  He  is 
now  a  prisoner  at  Tabreez,  by  order  of  the  king.  In  the  year  1831, 
as  my  readers  have  already  seen,  I  was  made  a  slave  of  by  the  peo- 
ple of  Torbad  Hydarea,  but  their  khan,  by  order  of  Abbas  Meerza, 
set  me  again  free.  This  fellow  had  put  out  the  eyes  of  hundreds  of 
people,  and  cut  off  noses,  &c.,  and  sold  not  less  than  60,000  Persians 
to  the  people  of  Bokhara.  His  own  turn,  however,  came,  and  as  I 
like  to  see  people  in  misfortune,  not  to  triumph  over  them  but  to  con- 
sole them,  I  went  to  pay  him  a  visit.  At  present,  being  in  prison,  he 
receives  company  at  home,  not  being  allowed  to  stir  out  of  the  domi- 
cile assigned  him  by  the  king,  except  with  a  few  honourable  attend- 
ants, the  prince's  guards,  by  way  of  security.  On  my  seeing  him,  he 
immediately  recognised  me,  reminded  me  of  the  bastinadoes  which  he 
had  inflicted  on  those  who  made  me  a  slave  and  took  my  money,  but 
he  prudently  omitted  to  state  that  he  put  this  latter  commodity  into  his 
own  pocket,  and,  as  Orientals  have  long  recollections,  and  one  may 
meet  them  in  out-place  regions,  and  rather  unexpectedly,  I  omitted  to 
revive  any  unpleasant  reminiscences.  By  one  of  those  freaks  of  phy- 
siognomy that  occasionally  happen,  his  appearance  is  remarkably 
mild,  but  I  should  shun  that  eye  if  I  met  it  in  the  desert. 

The  manner  in  which  he  was  made  prisoner  was  as  follows.  When 
Abbas  Mirza  was  in  Khorassaun,  in  the  year  1831-2,  he  struck  terror 
among  the  different  chiefs.  At  last  he  (Abbas  Mirza)  sent  this  khan 
a  laanat-namah,  i.  e.  a  letter,  in  which  Abbas  Mirza  wished  that  all 
the  curses  should  come  upon  him  (Abbas  Mirza)  himself,  if  he  did 
not  treat  well  Muhammed  Khan  Kerahe,  in  case  that  he  would  imme- 
diately come  and  pay  him  a  visit.  Muhammed,  whose  father,  Iszhak 
Khan  Kerahe,  strange  to  say,  was  similarly  entrapped  by  the  Royal 
Family,  believed  the  assurance  of  Abbas  Mirza,  and  came  to  Meshed, 
riding  on  the  back  of  a  splendid  horse.  On  the  road,  Yahya  Khan, 
one  of  the  chamberlains  of  Abbas  Mirza,  came  to  meet  him,  and  ad- 
vised Muhammed  Khan  to  make  a  present  of  his  horse  to  Abbas  Mirza. 
Muhammed  Khan  answered  sternly  to  this  proposal  of  Yahya  Khan,  "  I 
never  shall  part  from  this  horse,  for  which  I  have  given  twelve  fellows 
like  thee  as  an  exchange."  When  Muhammed  Iszhak  Khan  arrived 
at  Abbas  Mirza's,  he  was  given  to  understsnd  that  he  was  a  prisoner. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  119 

This  does  not  redound  to  the  honour  of  that  great  and  amiable  man, 
Abbas  Mirza.  Beneath  is  a  translation  of  the  autograph  of  this  cele- 
brated captive  chieftain,  which  he  wrote  in  my  presence  : 

Translation  of  the  Autograph  of  Muhammed  the  Son  of  Iszhak  Khan  Kerahe,  $c. 
Muhammed,  son  of  Iszhak  Khan  Kerahe,  Tatar  of  the  family  of  Ghengis  Khan. 

The  ancestors  of  Ghengis  Khan  were  Oolinjah  Khan  and  Olamgoo,  a  Mogul,  who 
had  twins :  the  name  of  the  one  was  Mogul  Khan,  and  the  other  Tatar  Khan,  from 
whom  all  the  Tatars  descend,  as  the  Moguls  do  from  Mogul  Khan.  The  sons  of 
Ghengis  Khan  were,  1.  Hutshi  Khan  ;  2.  Jaktay  Khan  ;  3.  Aktaye  Khan ;  4.  Tula 
Khan. 

After  the  death  of  Ghengis  Khan,  the  children  of  Tule  Khan  became  kings. 
Mikukahan  Khan  sat  upon  the  throne  of  Ghengis  Khan,  who  sent  his  brother, 
Alaku  Khan,  into  Persia,  and  resided  for  a  while  at  Tabreez,  whence  he  went  to 
Bagdad,  and  killed  Muattesim,  the  last  of  the  khaleefs  of  the  family  of  Abbas.  The 
tribe  of  Kerahe  had  accompanied  Halaku  Khan  to  Tabreez,  and  after  the  extinction 
of  the  dynasty  of  Ghengis  Khan,  the  Kerahe  emigrated  to  Turkey  ;  but  when  Tam- 
erlane became  the  conqueror  of  the  world,  he  removed  forty  thousand  families  of  the 
Kerahe  tribe  from  Turkey  to  Samarcand  ;  of  which  number,  however,  twelve  thou- 
sand separated  and  returned  to  Khorassaun,  whose  descendant  I  am. 

Muhammed  also  told  me  the  story  of  Ghengis  Khan's  mother  hav- 
ing become  pregnant  by  a  beam  of  the  sun,  which  entered  into  her 
mouth.  Of  Timur,  he  said  his  very  name  was  prophetic,  for  Timur 
means  iron,  and  Timur  or  Tamerlane  was  a  man  of  iron.  And  here 
Muhammed  Khan  Kerahe  became  quite  animated,  and  said,  "  I  aspired 
after  the  honour  of  becoming  another  Tamerlane  and  Ghengis  Khan, 
and  my  name  was  already  a  terror  among  the  Khans  of  Khiva  and 
Bokhara,  and  ambassadors  even  were  sent  to  me  from  the  Ghirgese  and 
the  Cossacks.  I  had  secret  correspondence  with  Russia,  (which  latter 
words  he  whispered  into  my  ear.)  But  in  the  midst  of  this  career  a  stop 
was  put  to  it  by  Allah  above.  I  am  now  little,  and  am  fallen  from  my 
high  estate.  Allah  is  great,  and  man  unconscious  of  his  destiny.  My 
name  was  Muhammed  Kale-Kaan,  which  means  Muhammed  the 
Head  Tearer." 

At  this  place  I  arrived  at  the  complete  demonstration  that  the  account 
on  which  Government  relied,  of  Saleh  Muhammed,  was  untrue,  from 
a  merchant  who  called  on  me  at  the  British  consulate,  on  the  17th 
January,  and  told  me  that  at  the  time  he  left  Bokhara,  twelve  months 
previous,  Stoddart  and  Conolly  were  both  shut  up  in  the  fortress.  He 
further  stated  that  he  then  saw  Samut  Khan,  in  whose  house  Stoddart 
formerly  lodged.  Mr.  Bonham  and  myself  examined  him,  and  all  he 
knew  was,  that  both  were  in  prison,  and  he  was  told  by  Samut  Khan, 
that  if  once  a  person  is  imprisoned  in  the  (Ark)  castle,  no  one  knows 
whether  he  is  dead  or  alive. 


120  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

I  regret  to  say  that  the  state  of  this  country,  at  the  time  of  my  visit, 
was  most  lamentable.  The  King  was  reported  to  be  entirely  governed 
by  a  bigoted,  ambitious,  and  jealous  old  Haje,  so  that  all  the  English 
officers  are  dismissed  his  service.  He  never  sent,  as  Abbas  Mirza 
his  father  did,  any  Persian  to  Europe  to  be  instructed  there.  Not  a 
medical  man  was  to  be  seen  throughout  Persia.  The  King  himself 
was  a  victim  to  the  gout,  for  which  his  quack  physician  prescribed 
brandy.  He  was  victimized,  not  by  hydropathy,  but  brandypathy.  I 
must,  however,  confess  that  the  Haje  was  more  kind  to  me  on  my  arrival 
at  Teheraun  than  I  had  room  to  expect  from  this  report  of  his  character 
at  Tabreez.  He  seemed  to  me  to  be  the  Persian  Cardinal  Wolsey. 
I  learnt  also  that  he  had  altered  his  system,  and  sent  young  men  to 
France  and  England  to  be  educated  in  various  arts  and  professions. 

Mr.  Bonham,  the  consul-general,  furnished  me  with  the  strongest 
recommendations  from  all  the  authorities  here,  civil,  military,  and  ec- 
clesiastical, for  Teheraun  and  Meshed.  Mr.  Bonham  is  a  connection 
of  Sir  Robert  Peel,  having  married  a  niece  of  Lady  Peel.  His  hospi- 
table dwelling  received  me  the  instant  I  arrived,  and  nothing  could  ex- 
ceed the  kindness  shown  to  me  by  him  and  his  amiable  lady.  Mr. 
Bonham  was  not  in  possession  of  any  information  on  the  subject  of 
Stoddart  and  Conolly. 

Colonel  Sheil  was  the  only  person  of  whom  I  yet  had  heard  up  to 
this  period  who  appeared  to  be  convinced  of  their  death,  but  he  had 
sent  no  one  to  ascertain  the  fact.  I  was  given  to  understand  in  this 
place  that  Colonel  Sheil  was  a  retired  and  silent  man,  doing  nothing  on 
his  own  responsibility,  and  that  report  led  me  to  doubt  still  further  the 
intelligence  on  which  he  relied. 

On  Sunday,  the  14th,  I  preached  to  the  English,  and  administered 
the  sacrament  to  them.  I  also  received  on  that  day  a  visit  from  the 
Persian  governor  of  the  place,  and  I  have  already  mentioned  my  visit 
to  His  Highness  Bahman  Mirza,  but  I  omitted  to  say  that  Mr.  Bon- 
ham accompanied  me,  and  that  the  mehmoondar  was  sent  to  me  at  his 
suggestion  by  Prince  Bahman  Mirza  to  Awajick,  six  stations  from 
Tabreez.  His  Royal  Highness  promised  also  to  send  again,  on  Thurs- 
day the  18th,  a  mehmoondar  with  me  as  far  as  Teheraun.  He  further 
furnished  letters  of  introduction  for  Teheraun  and  Meshed.  The 
Haje  also  furnished  a  letter  for  the  prime  minister  of  the  Shah. 

In  company  with  Mr.  Bonham  I  also  called  on  the  Imam  Jemaat, 
the  High-Priest  of  Tabreez,  who  gave  me  letters  for  Abdul-Samut- 
Khan  at  Bokhara,  with  whom  Stoddart  resided.  I  ascertained  that  at 
Ooroomia,  six  days  distant  from  Tabreez,  there  were  American  Pres- 
byterian missionaries,  who  did  a  great  deal  of  good  by  instructing  the 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  121 

people,  and  as  they  do  not  interfere  with  the  discipline  of  the  Nesto- 
rians,  they  deserve  every  praise  and  encouragement. 

I  am  always  rejoiced  to  learn  that  Episcopalians  send  out  mission- 
aries, but  in  the  mean  time,  as  long  as  this  is  not  done,  the  state  of 
the  Eastern  churches  is  in  such  a  sad  condition,  that  modest,  prudent, 
and  zealous  Presbyterians  might  be  rendered  useful  to  them,  and  these 
very  Presbyterian  missionaries  would  perceive,  from  the  state  of  the 
East,  that  Episcopacy  is  a  primitive  condition  of  the  Church,  and 
Congregationalism  an  anomaly.  And  thus,  while  it  cannot  be  denied 
that  they  enlighten  the  East,  it  will  also  follow  that  they  take  back 
with  them  to  their  own  country,  a  portion  of  its  light,  to  the  benefit  of 
the  country  from  which  they  were  sent  forth.  Archbishop  Magee 
once  told  me  that  he  would  like  to  make  the  Wesleyans,  auxiliaries, 
to  the  Church,  and  thus  the  Church  of  England  might  make  the  Pres- 
byterians, auxiliaries,  in  spreading  the  Gospel  through  the  East.  Dr. 
Grant,  Messrs.  Perkins,  Merrick,  and  Stoddard,  are  very  worthy  men 
on  this  mission.  From  this  place  I  addressed  the  following  note  to  the 
Committee  of  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Fund. 

Tabreez,  19th  Jan.,  1844 : 

Gentlemen,  the  day  of  my  departure  for  Teheraun, 

Through  the  kindness  and  indefatigable  exertions  of  Mr.  Bonham,  Her  Britan- 
nic Majesty's  consul-general  in  Persia,  I  leave  here  to-day  for  Teheraun,  accompa- 
nied by  a  mehmoondar  from  his  Royal  Highness  Prince  Bahman  Mirza,  and  accom- 
panied by  the  following  letters  of  introduction  : 

1.  From  His  Royal  Highness  Bahman  Mirza,  for  Mirza  Ali  Nakee  Khan,  at 
Teheraun ;   and  for  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  Governor  of  Meshed,  and  the  King's 
uncle. 

2.  From  Mirza  Lutf  Ali,  the  Imam  Jumaa  (chief  Mullah)  at  Tabreez,  for  tho 
Haje,  Prime  Minister  of  the  King,  at  Teheraun  ;  for  Mirza  Askere,  chief  mullah 
at  Meshed ;   Haje  Ibraheem,  brother  of  Samut  Khan,   at   Meshed  ;    for  Samut 
Khan,  chief  of  the  artillery,  at  Bokhara. 

3.  From  Mullah   Muhammed,  Mujtehed  at  Tabreez,   for  Haje   Mirza  Moosa 
Khan,  chief  of  the  mosque,  at  Meshed. 

4.  From  Agalar  Khan,  brother  to  Manujar  Khan,  for  His  Excellency  the  Assaff- 
ood-Dowla,  Governor  of  Meshed  ;  and  for  Haje  Mirza  Mousa  Khan,  at  Meshed. 

5.  From  the  Sheikh  al-Islara,  for  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  at  Meshed  ;  and  the 
chief  priest  of  Bokhara. 

6.  From  Haje  Seyd  Hussein,  for  Haje  Ibraheem,  at  Meshed  ;  and  Samut  Khan, 
at  Bokhara. 

You  would  therefore  do  well  to  write  letters  of  thanks  to  the  following  per- 
sonages : 

1.  To  their  Excellencies  the  Governor  and  Admiral  at  Malta. 

2.  To  Sir  Edmund  Lyons,  Bart.,  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  ambassador  in  Greece, 
requesting  him  also  to  convey  your  thanks  to  Their  Majesties  the  King  and  Queen 
of  Greece;  to  Sir  James  Stirling,  R.  N. ;  Captain  Ommaney,  of  the  Vesuvius;  to 
the  Revds.  H.  D.  Leeves,  Hill,  and  Jonas  King,  in  Athens. 

16 


122  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

3.  To  His  Excellency  Sir  Stratford,  and  also  Lady  Canning. 

4.  To  Lord  Napier,  at  Constantinople. 

5.  To  Their  Excellencies  the  Count  Stiirmer,  Austrian  internuntio  at  Constanti- 
nople, and  Countess  de  Sturmer. 

6.  To  Monsieur  Titow,  Russian  ambassador  at  Constantinople. 

7.  To  F.  Stephens,  Esq ,  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  vice-consul  at  Trebizond. 

8.  To  Signer  Ghersi,  Russian  consul  at  Trebizond ;  for  both  Stephens,  Gherei, 
and  a  few  others,  subscribed  40Z.,  you  know. 

9.  To  James  Brant,  consul,  Colonel  Williams,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Redhouse,  at 
Erzroom. 

10.  To  the  Pasha  of  Erzroom,  who  paid  all  the  expenses  of  my  journey  as  far  as 
Awajik,  the  frontier  of  Persia. 

11.  A  letter  of  thanks  to  E.  W.  Bonham,  Esq.,  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  consul- 
general,  and  his  lady,  for  the  kind  hospitality  they  afforded  to   me,  and  the  en- 
couragement they  gave,  and  the  interest  they  took  in  my  present  object. 

Yours  affectionately, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

Why  is  Mr.  Bonham  not  made  ambassador  ?  He  is  so  much  respected  in  Persia. 
He  arrived  here  in  1832,  and  knows  the  country  and  language  well. 

Among  many  signs  of  the  times  that  clearly  indicate  the  diminish- 
ing power  of  the  fanaticism  of  the  Muhammedans,  the  following  is  not 
among  the  least.  On  the  19th  January,  the  Armenians  celebrated 
their  Khatshauran,  i.  e.  the  washing  of  the  Cross,  in  which  they  em- 
ployed Muhammedan  soldiers  to  fire  salutes.  This  is  a  wonderful  al- 
teration of  the  Osmanlees.  By  the  way,  on  that  occasion,  in  which 
Armenians,  Georgians,  and  Greeks  united  in  the  festivity,  my  Persian 
servant  Michael  became  so  drunk  as  to  be  incapable  of  doing  anything, 
and  when  I  reproved  him  for  it,  after  he  got  sober,  he  coolly  replied, 
"  What  should  one  do  else  on  such  a  grand  day  !" 

Many  Armenians,  also,  who  had  become  Muhammedans,  have 
openly  returned  to  the  Christian  faith.  I  must  here  note  further,  with 
respect  to  the  Armenian  church,  that  it  is  well  known  that  the  Empe- 
ror Nicholas  attempts  at  present  to  unite  the  Armenian  church  with 
the  Russian  :  a  great  division  has  therefore  taken  place  among  the 
Armenians.  Some  of  them  say  it  is  right,  for  in  former  times,  in  the 
year  1179,  Emanuel  Comnenus  made  the  attempt.  Others  of  the  Ar- 
menians say  that  the  Czar  has  no  right  to  interfere  with  their  church. 
Those  who  are  in  favour  refer  to  the  speech  of  Saint  Nierses  of  Lam- 
pron.  In  order  to  understand  these  remarks,  I  give  the  following 
sketch  of  the  life  of  this  extraordinary  man. 

S.  Nierses  of  Lampron,  son  of  Ossinio,  an  Armenian  nobleman, 
patron  of  the  Castel  of  Lampron,  Prince  of  Sebaste,  was  born  in 
the  year  1153.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the  celebrated 
monasteries  of  Armenia,  and  then  was  taken  under  the  direc- 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  123 

tion  of  the  great  Nierses  Shnorhaale  or  Ghlayazee,  who  ordained  him 
priest  and  gave  him  his  own  name,  for  his  former  name  was  Sembate. 
After  the  death  of  Nierses  Ghlayazee,  Gregory  IV.,  at  the  request  of 
the  nation,  consecrated  him  Archbishop  of  Tarsus  and  Lampron. 
Nierses  of  Lampron  governed  the  Church  with  zeal,  and  kindled 
throughout  Armenia  the  fire  of  Divine  love,  and  reformed  the  Church 
by  his  preaching  and  writings ;  for  he  combined  in  his  own  person  di- 
vine and  profane  sciences  in  a  high  degree,  so  that  he  was  styled  the 
Master  of  Armenian  eloquence.  He  was  also  acquainted  with  foreign 
languages.  He  has  published  the  following  writings  : 

1.  An  Exposition  of  the  Armenian  Liturgy. 

2.  A  Practical  Commentary  of  the  Psalms  of  David. 

3.  A  Commentary  on  the  Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes,  Book  of  Wisdom,  and  also  th* 
twelve  Minor  Prophets  ;  and  their  literal  as  well  as  their  allegorical  sense. 

4.  Many  Homilies  upon  the  Dominical  Festivals,  and  several  Admonitory  Dis- 
courses. 

5.  Several  Letters,  written  with  Apostolical  zeal,  to  various  illustrious  persons. 

6.  The  Life  of  Saint  Nierses  Ghelienses,  rendered  in  elegant  verse. 

7.  Seven  most  beautiful  Hymns :  the  first  on  Easter,  the  second  on  Whitsunday, 
the  third  on  the  Ascension,  and  the  fourth  on  the  Festival  of  the  Sons  and  Nephewa 
of  St.  Gregory  the  Illuminator. 

He  also  translated  several  works  from  different  languages  into  Ar- 
menian, among  which  are  highly  esteemed,  The  Explanation  of  the 
Apocalypse  of  St.  John,  written  by  Andrea,  Archbishop  of  Cesarea. 
The  Rules  of  the  Order  of  St.  Benedict;  and  The  Life  and  Dia- 
logues of  St.  Gregory  the  Great. 

This  distinguished  Prelate  had  nothing  more  at  heart  than  the  pres- 
ervation of  charity,  and  unity  in  the  Church  ;  he  was  therefore  called 
by  other  nations,  a  second  Paul  of  Tarsus.  The  above-mentioned 
Patriarch  Gregory,  encouraged  by  the  Emperor  Emanuel  Comnenus, 
intended  to  re-establish  harmony  between  the  two  Churches,  the 
Greek  and  Armenian,  divided  for  a  long  time  from  each  other  on  ac- 
count of  differences  in  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  Church.  A 
council  was  already  commenced  under  his  predecessor,  and  was  only 
interrupted  by  his  death.  A  preliminary  discourse  was  necessary  for 
the  proposed  union.  Nierses  was  elected  to  write  it.  He  recited  this 
speech  in  the  council  assembled  in  1179,  in  the  patriarchal  castle  of 
Roomkalah,  in  Cilicia.  We  may  trace  in  this  curious  paper  that  the 
unity  of  the  Church  was  believed  by  the  Armenian  Fathers  to  have 
been  typified  in  the  architecture  of  the  Temple. 

Most  holy  fathers  and  teachers  of  the  Truth !  Heads  and  pastors  of  the  people 
of  Christ!  Overseers  and  dispensers  of  the  house  of  God!  What  do  I  now 
behold  ?  One  harmonious  body,  fit  to  be  united  to  that  great  Head  who  rules  us  all. 


124  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

Who  has  brought  you  to  this  tranquil  ^haven  ?  Ye  messengers  of  peace  to  the 
Universe,  was  not  the  Holy  Spirit  for  our  peace  sent  down  from  heaven  ?  And  to 
what  end,  if  not  to  relay  the  foundation  of  that  ruined  building,  which  the  first 
Nebuchadnezzar,  King  of  Babylon,  cast  down  to  the  ground  ?  That  Nebuchad- 
nezzar who  in  ancient  time  took  away  the  sacred  and  undefiled  vessels  of  gold  and 
silver,  consecrated  to  the  use  of  the  sanctuary,  and  gave  them  to  his  children  and 
to  his  concubines  for  the  use  of  their  unholy  banquets.  We  also,  O  children  of 
Sion,  were  captives  here,  having  the  harps  of  our  God  suspended  to  the  branches  of 
sterile  willows,  and  shedding  torrents  of  tears,  sighed,  borne  down  with  the  weight 
of  cruel  grief.  Then  did  our  tongues  also  cease  from  giving  praise  to  God  ;  then 
we  asked,  "  How  can  we  sing  the  Lord's  song  in  a  strange  land  ?" 

But  now  the  wrath  of  heaven  is  appeased,  and  the  measure  of  the  sin,  for  which 
we  became  wanderers  on  earth,  is  full.  The  seventy  years  are  now  passed,  of 
which  God  spake  by  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah  the  Prophet.  They  had  been  foretold 
through  Divine  inspiration  by  Haggai  and  Zachariah,  and  propitious  tidings  they 
gave  us  of  our  return  and  of  liberty.  The  glory  of  the  latter  Temple,  of  which 
you  are  to  be  the  restorers,  these  prophets  predicted  should  be  greater  than  that  of 
the  former.  This  new  Joshua*,  son  of  Jozedek,  on  whose  head  is  placed  the 
superb  crown,  and  Zorobabelt,  the  son  of  Salathiel,  whom  the  Spirit  of  God  raised 
up,  these  are  they  who  recal  you  from  slavery,  and  are  become  our  leaders  towards 
the  heavenly  Jerusalem. 

Already  I  perceive  your  countenances  are  more  serene,  for  already  are  our  feet 
arrived  at  the  gates  of  Sion.  But  if  our  joy  be  not  yet  accomplished,  it  is  because 
the  house  of  our  God  is  still  in  ruins  upon  the  ground.  How  can  we  have  perfect 
gladness  of  heart,  while  for  the  magnificent  ornaments  of  the  Temple  we  find 
substituted  the  devouring  firebrands  of  Nebuzar-aden  ? 

Yet  let  not  your  spirit  forsake  you,  O  wise  builders ! — take  courage,  and  begin  the 
restoration  of  the  house  of  your  God.  He  has  brought  you  here,  and  He  commands 
you  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  prophets  to  gird  up  your  loins  to  the  accomplishment 
of  so  noble  an  enterprise.  Behold  how  Zachariah  comes  in  the  name  of  God,  and 
speaks  to  you. 

Tell  us,  O  blessed  Prophet !  is  it  possible  for  us  to  rebuild  the  Temple,  and  bring 
it  back  to  its  ancient  splendour,  seeing  we  are  so  few,  and  so  lately  delivered  from 
bondage  t 

The  Prophet  replies,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent :  Your  hands  shall 
be  made  strong,  the  hands  of  all  of  you  who  hear  these  words  from  My  mouth  ;  and 
as  you  were  a  curse  to  the  nations,  O  house  of  Judah  and  house  of  Israel,  so  will  I 
save  you,  and  you  shall  be  a  blessing.  Be  courageous,  and  your  hands  shall  be 
strengthened,  for  thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts.  In  like  manner  as  I  thought  to 
punish  you  when  your  fathers  provoked  me  to  wrath,  so  again  have  I  thought  in 
these  days  to  do  well  unto  Jerusalem,  and  to  the  whole  house  of  Judah.  Be  ye 
comforted.  These  are  the  things  that  ye  shall  do.  Speak  ye  every  man  the  truth 
to  his  neighbour,  execute  the  judgment  of  truth  and  of  peace  in  your  gates ;  let 
none  of  you  imagine  evil  hi  your  hearts  against  his  neighbour ;  and  love  no  false 
oath:  for  all  these  things  do  I  hate,  saith  the  Lord  Omnipotent.  But  rather 
encourage  one  another  in  the  work,  ascend  the  mountain,  cut  down  trees  with  which 
to  rebuild  My  house,  and  I  shall  have  pleasure  in  it ;  and  in  this  manner  I  shall  be 
glorified,  saith  the  Lord." 

*  Gregory  the  Patriarch,  by  whose  orders  they  were  assembled.          t  Emanuel  Comnenus. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  125 

Behold,  you  all  have  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord  our  God — that  voice  which 
brought  you  here  from  the  four  winds  of  the  earth ;  daughters  of  Sion,  who  were 
nursed  hi  the  confusion  of  Babylon,  and  amidst  the  tumult  of  Calneh — you,  who 
instantly  arose  at  the  call  of  the  patriarch — and  you,  as  many  as  there  be  of  the 
people,  gird  yourselves,  and  hasten  to  build  the  house  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

That  this  be  done  well,  take  counsel  of  Ezra,  that  Doctor  of  the  Law.  Let  us 
expel  from  the  building  all  those  that  are  born  children  of  the  Chaldeans.  Let  us  enter 
into  the  desire  of  happiness  in  which  our  ancestors  so  ardently  indulged,  that  God 
be  not  displeased  with  us,  seeing  that  we  also  turn  aside  from  His  holy  law.  Thus 
in  the  magnificent  undertaking  of  building  the  holy  Temple  of  God,  the  children  of 
strangers  will  not  be  a  stumbling-block  to  us :  so  shall  we  be  enabled  boldly  to  lay 
our  hands  to  the  edifice.  The  protection  of  the  Omnipotent  God  in  the  renovation, 
of  His  house  will  be  prompt  and  effectual.  But  I  fear  some  will  reproach  me  with 
the  introduction  of  this  example  of  the  Old  Testament,  as  though  the  just  limits 
marked  out  for  the  subject  of  this  discourse  had  been  exceeded.  Let  it  not  be  so, 
for  we  know  that  of  old  St.  Paul  said,  "  All  these  things  happened  unto  them  for 
our  examples,  and  they  are  written  for  our  admonition."  If  we  believe  that  we  are 
saved  by  the  blood  of  the  true  Lamb  from  the  invisible  Pharaoh,  as  the  Jews  were 
from  the  visible  one  ;  if  we  pass  through  the  Sea  of  Sin  as  they  passed  through  the 
Red  Sea ;  if  we  have  as  a  guide  the  spiritual  rock,  like  as  they  had  the  material 
one ;  and  if  we  enter,  through  Jesus  Christ,  into  heaven,  as  those  who,  following 
Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  entered  into  the  land  of  promise  ;  alt  these  things  come  to 
us  through  the  eye  of  love  and  faith,  as  in  reality  they  actually  happened  to  tho 
Jews :  for  all  the  holy  books  clearly  demonstrate  that  the  law  was  a  shadow  of  good 
things  to  come :  among  us  also  the  Temple  has  been  erected  to  our  God,  like  as  it 
was  erected  among  them  ;  and  whilst  we  were  sojourners  in  the  desert,  we  carried 
about  with  us  the  Tabernacle  of  the  testimony. 

But  I  will  no  longer  go  on  in  allegory, — I  will  explain  myself  more  clearly.  By 
command  of  Christ,  whilst  we  were  so  wandering  in  the  desert  of  persecution 
amongst  heathens,  the  holy  Apostles  planted  for  us  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony 
of  pure  faith ;  as  Saint  Paul  says,  "  I  have  laid  the  foundation,  Jesus  Christ,  and 
let  every  man  take  heed  how  he  buildeth  thereon,  for  you  are  the  true  temple  of  the 
living  God,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you.  Christ  ruleth  over  his  own  house, 
which  house  are  we,  and  of  this  house  Christ  is  the  high  priest." 

This  house  of  faith,  which  the  Apostles  built  upon  Christ,  and  Christ  upon  them, 
("  Upon  this  rock,"  says  He,  "  will  I  build  my  Church,")  our  fathers  led  about  with 
us  for  a  long  period,  through  the  desert  of  pagan  persecution  with  much  splendour 
and  honour.  Within  this  spiritual  house  of  faith,  in  which  was  the  table  signed  by 
the  hand  of  God,  that  is  to  say,  the  body  of  Christ,  and  his  rod  that  blossomed, 
illustrious  champions  were  offered  up  in  sacrifice,  yielding  up  life  under  the  most 
cruel  torments, — while  the  holy  priests  offered  up  to  God  their  bright  virtues  as  the 
incense  with  which  God  was  well  pleased  ;  and  even  as  they  were  led  by  Him  to 
their  land  of  promise,  so  has  He  guided  us  also  to  the  peace  of  the  Church  under 
the  most  pious  kings*. 

As  the  great  Solomon  planted  the  Temple  of  the  Covenant,  and  erected  to  God 
a  house  of  stone,  so  Constantino  firmly  established,  with  the  aid  of  the  General 
Council  of  Nice,  the  house  of  the  faith  of  Christ,  agitated  and  harassed  as  it  was 
on  every  side ;  and  so  to  speak,  reforming  that  in  the  desert  which  was  counteracted 

*  Abgar,  Constantine,  Tiridates,  Theodosius  the  Great 


126  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

during  the  persecution  of  our  pilgrimage,  he  rendered  it  illustrious,  and  restored  it  to 
its  primitive  beauty. 

Thus  our  true  and  spiritual  Temple  was  raised  under  the  reign  of  Constantine, 
with  the  co-operation  of  three  hundred  and  eighteen  most  holy  Fathers,  like  as  the 
material  Temple  of  the  Jews  was  raised  under  the  care  of  the  reigning  Solomon. 
The  shadow  ceased  and  the  reality  was  substituted,  exhibiting  itself  in  the  same  form 
and  beauty. 

The  Tabernacle  of  the  Testament  of  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ  which  the  Apostles 
planted  and  their  successors  carried  abroad,  had  also  its  solid  foundation  whilst  they 
reigned,  according  to  the  decisions  and  laws  of  the  holy  Council  of  Nice. 

In  the  Temple  of  old,  the  throne  of  God  was  erected.  The  altar  of  expiation  was 
made  of  gold,  which  Moses  commanded,  and  Bezaleel  constructed ;  but  the  meek- 
ness, humility,  and  love  which  Christ  commanded,  and  his  Apostles  practised,  were 
left  to  us  as  our  depository.  He  rested  on  this  throne,  who  once  had  not  where  to 
lay  his  head ;  and  was  pleased  rather  to  dwell  there  than  on  the  chariot  of  the  cher- 
ubims. 

The  discourse  was  so  well  received,  that  the  union  would  have 
taken  place  if  Comnenus  had  not  died.  His  successor,  Alexis  II.,  was 
of  different  sentiments,  on  which  account  the  union  did  not  take  place. 
The  Archbishop  of  Tarsus  lived  nineteen  years  after  this  council,  and 
then  died  on  the  14th  of  July,  1198. 

I  met  here,  on  January  16th,  Jaafr  Khan,  who  was  brought  up  in 
England,  and  afterwards  employed  by  Abbas  Mirza,  in  Meshed,  where 
I  knew  him.  He  dined  with  me  at  Mr.  Bonham's.  He  is  a  very  in- 
telligent Persian.  It  would  be  well  if  there  were  many  such  among 
them ;  but  alas  they  are  few.  I  find,  since  October  14th,  I  have  trav- 
elled the  following  distances : 

Miles. 

From  Southampton  to  Gibraltar 1300 

Gibraltar  to  Malta 1000 

Malta  to  Constantinople 800 

Constantinople  to  Trebizond 480 

Trebizond  to  Erzroom 180 

Erzroom  to  Tabreez     -----------  348 

4108 

I  have  mentioned  certain  signs  of  the  decay  of  Muhammedanism  ; 
I  will  adduce  another.  On  the  18th  January,  I  called  with  Mr.  Bon- 
ham  on  Mirza  Hashem,  one  of  the  family  of  Muhammed,  a  man  of 
immense  wealth,  who  said  to  me,  "  You  should  converse  about  religion 
with  the  chief  mullah  at  Kerbelay ;  if  you  convert  him,  all  the  Muham- 
medans  will  follow  his  example."  "  But,"  said  1,  "  you  put  to  death 
a  Muhammedan  who  should  venture  to  embrace  the  Christian  religion." 
Mirza  Hashem :  "  This  was  formerly  the  custom,  but  now  a  Muham- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  127 

medan  who  would  become  a  Christian,  merely  needs  to  take  an  English 
passport,  and  declare  himself  to  be  a  British  subject,  and  he  is  safe." 

January  20th.  On  this  day,  my  mehmoondar  made  his  appearance 
at  the  door  of  the  British  consulate  general  at  Tabreez.  Mr.  Bon- 
ham  and  Mr.  Burgess  accompanied  me  on  my  journey  seven  miles. 
On  the  road,  after  their  departure,  I  observed,  to  rny  great  grief,  that 
Michael,  my  servant,  was  so  drunk  that  he  was  not  able  to  hold  himself 
on  his  horse.  I  ordered  him  to  dismount  and  give  me  back  my  money, 
for  I  had  given  it  to  him  to  keep.  He  delivered  up  the  money,  but 
in  his  drunken  fit  struck  me,  and  left  me  on  the  open  road.  As 
Messrs.  Bonham  and  Burgess  had  already  returned  to  Tabreez  when 
that  fellow  left  me,  I  was  afraid  that  he  might  either  die  in  the  snow, 
for  he  had  laid  down  and  slept,  or  be  carried  away  as  a  slave,  or  be 
stript  of  everything ;  I  therefore  sent  back  the  keeper  of  the  post-horses 
to  give  notice  to  Mr.  Bonham,  who  sent  one  of  his  men,  and  he  brought 
the  fellow  by  force  to  Tabreez.  I  had  afterwards  to  send  his  portman- 
teau after  him  to  Tabreez.  I  know  not  what  became  of  him,  whether 
he  returned  to  Constantinople,  where  I  hired  him,  or  what  else  befel  him. 
I  continued  my  journey,  and  arrived  on  that  same  day  at  Seydabad. 

January  21st.  We  arrived  in  the  hilly  village  called  Tekmetash. 
It  was  tremendously  cold,  and  scarcely  had  we  reached  the  posthouse 
(manzeleh)  when  the  clouds  covered  the  sky,  the  horizon  was  darkened, 
and  a  tremendous  rising  of  the  snow  and  sand  from  the  ground  in 
enormous  masses  took  place.  No  one  dared  stir  from  the  house. 
The  Persians  call  this  kind  of  storm  kulagh.  I  never  as  yet  in  my 
extensive  travels  had  seen  anything  like  it.  Such  kind  of  kulaghs  kill 
in  an  instant  the  horse  and  the  rider,  especially  when  accompanied 
with  a  blast  like  death  itself  in  chillness.  We  were  obliged  to  stay 
in  that  miserable  place,  more  exposed  to  the  so-called  kulagh  than  any 
other  part  of  Persia,  two  days. 

The  day  I  left  Tabreez  on  my  way  to  Teheraun,  I  met  with  a 
learned  derveesh  in  the  place  I  had  taken  up  my  abode  after  my  ser- 
vant had  left  me.  On  my  entering  with  him  into  a  religious  conversa- 
tion, he  broke  forth  into  the  exclamation,  "You  are  another  Tata  Sultan 
and  Kemaalee  Howdbeen  !"  I  asked,  "  Who  were  these  two  persons  ?" 

Derveesh.  The  disciples  of  Buddr-Udeen  Seemawn-Ogloo,  who  in 
the  Hejrah  835  traversed  the  country  of  Room  (Turkish  Empire), 
taught  that  all  the  property  of  men  ought  to  be  used  in  common, — houses, 
arms,  and  clothing, — women  excepted.  Tata  Sultan,  whose  name 
also  was  Beerekledje  Mustapha,  was  a  great  friend  of  the  Christians,  and 
with  one  of  them  he  spent  much  time  in  holy  meditation  about  God 
in  the  island  of  Sakez  (£.  e.  Scio).  Tata  Sultan  destroyed  the  army 


128  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

of  the  Sultan  of  Room,  Muhammed.  At  last  Bayazeed  Pasha  made 
Beerekledje  Mustapha  prisoner,  and  murdered  him,  as  it  was  believed, 
unmercifully,  with  all  his  disciples ;  but  Beerekledje  Mustapha  is  still 
alive,  and  a  friend  of  Christians ;  and  you  will,  in  unison  with  him,  upset 
the  Empire  of  Room  and  Persia.  I  heard  of  you  at  Delhi,  where  you 
have  conversed  with  Akbar  Shah,  the  King  of  Delhi,  and  the  Mow- 
levees  there ;  and  I  have  heard  of  you  at  Cashmeer.  You  have  been  a 
Jew,  and  all  great  events  proceeded  from  the  followers  of  Moses,  and 
will  proceed  again  until  Eesa  (Jesus)  will  again  make  his  appearance. 
When  these  events  shall  take  place,  when  you  shall  see  yourself  sur- 
rounded by  your  followers,  then  remember  the  Derveesh  of  Geelan. 
Abd-ool  Wahab  has  not  succeeded  in  reforming  the  world,  but  you  will." 
The  other  Persians  sat  around  us,  listening  with  attention  to  the 
words  of  the  Derveesh  of  Geelan,  and  then  began  to  converse  about 
the  bravery  of  the  late  Wuzeer  Mukhtar,  L  e.,  Sir  John  Me  Neil ;  of 
his  defying  the  King  of  Persia,  and  of  his  preventing  the  Shah  from 
taking  Heraut.  Since  the  time  that  Sir  John  Me  Neil  has  left  Persia, 
the  Persians  talk  more  of  him  than  of  Sir  John  Malcolm.  The  Per- 
sians have  a  great  deal  of  perspicacity,  and  characterize  the  British 
ambassadors  there  in  the  following  manner  : 

1.  Sir  John  Malcolm,  the  Munificent. 

2.  Sir  Gore  Ouseley,  the  Scholar. 

3.  Sir  Henry  Willock,  the  good  and  kind-hearted  man. 

4.  Sir  John  Campbell,  the  determined  and  liberal  Wuzeer  Mukhtar. 

5.  Sir  John  Me  Neil,  the  shrewd,  brave,  handsome  man,  and  the  best  Persian 
scholar  who  ever  appeared  in  Persia,  and  one  who  at  the  same  time  was  liberal. 

6.  Colonel  Sheil,  a  man  who  loves  retirement ;  but  they  give  him  credit  for  firmness. 

The  tone  of  Persians  and  Turks  has  also  changed  with  regard  to 
their  estimate  of  the  British  and  Russian  powers.  About  twenty-four 
years  ago  the  Turks  spoke  of  England  as  a  power  inferior  to  that  of 
the  Sultan,  and  the  Persians  spoke  of  the  Russians  as  men  who  never 
would  be  able  to  take  Erivaun  ;  but  now,  these  Muhammedan  coun- 
tries have  at  last  been  compelled  to  acknowledge  the  superiority  of 
both,  Russia  as  well  as  England  ;  and  it  is  come  so  far,  that  both  the 
Turks  as  well  as  the  Persians  acknowledge  that  they  cannot  go  to  war 
with  each  other,  "  for  Russia  and  England  will  not  allow  it."  Instead 
of  saying  as  formerly,  "  No  power  can  take  Stambool,"  the  Turks  as 
well  as  the  Persians  frequently  asked  me,  "  When  will  the  English 
come  and  take  this  country  ?" 

January  23rd.     We  continued  our  journey  towards  Turkman-Jaa*. 

*  It  is  so  named  from  Turkman  and  Jaa,  a  place,  for  the  Turkomauns  had  ex- 
tended their  plundering  incursions  to  that  place,  and  received  there  a  great  defeat. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  129 

A  cold  air  prevailed  which  penetrated  my  large  boots,  given  to  me  by 
Colonel  Williams,  under  which  I  had  two  pair  of  stockings.  Suddenly 
I  perceived  an  awful  rising  of  the  sand,  so  that  I  was  forced  to  rub  my 
eyes  and  shut  my  mouth.  It  soon  increased  terribly,  with  the  snow 
falling  from  the  mountain  peaks  ;  and  at  this  juncture  my  mehmoondar 
called  out,  "Kulagh  !"  but  most  fortunately,  after  ten  minutes  the 
kulagh  ceased,  the  air  grew  warmer,  and  the  snow  fell  gently  in  flakes 
from  heaven.  Had  the  kulagh  lasted  longer,  I  should  have  been  hurled 
down  a  precipice  from  which  I  was  about  twelve  yards  distant,  but 
had  not  observed  it.  We  rode  on  after  this  at  full  gallop,  and  arrived 
safely  at  Turkman-Jaa,  where  we  stopped  the  night. 

January  24th.  On  this  day  we  reached  the  large  market  town 
called  Miana,  where  I  obtained  a  decent  room,  and  called  on  the  mullah 
of  the  place,  with  whom  I  had  a  long  conversation  on  the  coming  of 
Christ  in  glory  and  majesty. 

January  26th,  we  arrived  in  the  city  called  Sanjoon.  Here  I  met 
with  Mirza  Baker,  the  commander  of  the  troops,  who  lodged  for  the 
space  of  two  months  with  me  in  the  house  of  Mirza  Baba  at  Meshed 
in  1831.  We  talked  over  occurrences  of  former  days. 

January  28th,  I  arrived  at  Khoramtarah,  where  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Stocking,  an  American  Congregationalist 
missionary  stationed  at  Ooroomiah  with  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop 
Gabriel,  metropolitan  of  the  Chaldean  Christians  of  that  place  ;  but 
beside  him  there  is  another  Bishop  at  Ooroomiah,  Mar  Yohannan,  the 
same  who  was  in  America.  As  Mr.  Stocking  and  the  said  bishop  had 
arrived  before  me  at  Khoramtarah,  they  had  taken  up  their  lodging  in 
another  house  ;  but  at  my  request  they  became  my  guests. 

There  cannot  be  entertained  any  reasonable  doubt  of  the  truth  of 
the  general  tradition  of  the  Chaldeans,  of  their  being  the  descendants 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  for  they  call  themselves  Beni  Israel  (children 
of  Israel);  their  language  is  Hebrew;  they  have  sacrifices  called 

Doghran  Shlama,  rtnVfrarfiiHi  4«&^£kO2^  m  tne  ^east  of  Transfigura- 
tion, consisting  of  a  sheep,  lamb,  or  goat.  They  have  in  their  churches 
the  Holy  of  Holies,  0(6^13  fe*X^OUO  they  have  a  veil  like  the 


Jews  ;  the  Bishops  are  of  the  tribe  of  Levi  ;  the  Yeseede  are  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  but  the  latter  have  apostatized  ;  they  have  a  river  called 
Gozan.  The  Jews  of  Chaldea  call  them  their  nephews  ;  they  have 
a  horror  of  images,  &e.  They  have  seven  sacraments  (Raase, 

?  and  these  are  their  names,  by  which  you  will  observe  that 
17 


130  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

they  are  entirely  different,  at  least  the  greater  part,  from  those  of  the 
sacraments  of  the  Roman  Catholics  ;  they  are  as  follow  : 


1.  Z2k*Z  **nU 

^    • 


Blessing  of  the  priest,  or  ordination. 

*  :  •:  *  :  » 

2.      £k^(X3wX2tOUQ  Consecration  of  the  church, 


3.  &*C^^(X£p  Baptism. 

4.  £*&2kOUQ  Lord's  Supper. 

5.  J+3&Q+*  OK^OUD  The  blessing  of  the  old  leaven. 


6.    ul  Matrimony. 


7.          **O          aX  Service  of  the  dead. 

St.  Thomas  the  apostle  came  into  Mesopotamia,  where  they  lived 
in  captivity,  and  he  preached  to  them  the  gospel,  when  they  lived  near 
Mosul,  in  a  place  called  Halah  and  Habor,  near  the  river  Gozen,  so 
that  the  Jews  of  Bokhara  seem  to  have  given  after  this  to  Bokhara 
and  Samarcand,  the  name  of  their  original  settlements  in  Mesopotamia. 
Their  Patriarchs  resided  first  in  Eelat  Khokhi,  after  that  at  Marava, 
three  days'  journey  from  Tabreez,  and  then  at  Alkush,  mentioned  in 
Nahum  i.  1,  and  after  Tamerlane's  invasion  they  retired  to  Cochanes 
in  the  mountains.  Some  years  ago,  when  I  was  first  curate  at  High 
Hoyland,  the  Bishop  of  London  sent  to  me  a  letter,  purporting  to  have 
been  written  by  the  Patriarch  of  the  Chaldeans,  produced  by  some 
pretended  Chaldeans.  I  wrote  at  once  to  the  Bishop  of  London  that 
they  were  impostors,  and  Bishop  Gabriel  and  Mar  Yohannan,  assured 
me  that  I  was  not  mistaken  in  my  suspicion,  and  that  the  letter  which 
they  produced  from  the  Patriarch  was  a  forged  one. 

January  29th.  Stocking  and  Mar  Gabriel  continued  their  journey 
towards  Ooroomia,  and  I  towards  Teheraun,  and  arrived  on  the  30th 
at  Siyadehen,  where  I  had  an  excellent  well-furnished  room  in  the 
house  of  the  Ked-Khoda,  the  chief  of  the  village,  Baba  Abbas  by  name. 

January  31st,  I  arrived  at  Kasween,  whence  I  got  such  bad  horses, 
that  on  my  arrival  at  Sephir  Khoja,  fourteen  farsangs  or  fifty-six 
miles  from  Teheraun,  I  was  obliged  to  write  to  Colonel  Sheil,  petition- 
ing him  to  send  five  horses  to  my  assistance.  I  however  continued 
very  slowly  my  journey. 

The  horses  sent  most  kindly  by  Colonel  Sheil  (his  own  horse  for 
myself),  arrived,  with  a  kind  letter  from  him,  inviting  me  to  take  a 
room  in  the  British  Embassy. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA.  131 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Arrival  at  Teheraun.  Interview  with  Colonel  Sheil.  Interview  with  Meshedee- 
Rajab.  Colonel  Stoddart's  Servant.  Bokhara  Eljee.  Account  of  Latif.  Ba- 
renstein.  Preaches  before  the  Embassy.  Audience  with  the  Shah.  Letter  of 
Shah  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara.  Interview  with  the  Vizier  of  the  Shah.  Am- 
bassador of  Bokhara  tells  Dr.  Wolff  that  Stoddart  and  Conolly  are  alive.  No  cer- 
tainty at  Teheraun  as  to  their  Death.  Ambassador  of  Khiva.  Dilatory  Conduct 
of  Colonel  Sheil.  Borowsky,  the  Jew.  Most  distinguished  Generals  in  the  East, 
Jews.  Sefaweya  Dynasty.  Departure  from  Teheraun.  Visits  Palasht ;  Darey 
Knur ;  Deh-Namak ;  Surkhak.  Enters  Khorassaun.  Interview  with  Prince 
Seif  Ullah  Mirza  at  Semnan.  Route  through  Aghwan  ;  Khosha  ;  Damghan  (re- 
ported to  be  the  oldest  City  in  the  World) ;  Deh-Mullah  Sharoot ;  Miyamey ; 
Meyandasht ;  Meher  ;  Khosroejerd.  Sebzawar ;  Tower  of  Human  Skulls  built 
by  Tamerlane  at  this  place.  Route  continued — Safran ;  Germ-Ab.  Letter  re- 
ceived by  Dr.  Wolff  from  the  Persian  Viceroy  of  Khorassaun.  The  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla.  Route  continued — Nishapoor :  Report  here  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  be- 
ing alive.  Route  continued — Kadamgah  ;  Shereef-Abad ;  Askerea ;  meets  here 
with  Mullah  Mehdee  ;  Saleh  Muhammed  ;  the  Akhund-Zadeh.  Muhammed  AH 
Serraf,  the  Agent  of  Colonel  Stoddart ;  suspicious  Conduct  of  this  Agent. 

FEBRUARY  3rd.  I  arrived  at  Teheraun  this  day  about  twelve 
o'clock.  Colonel  Sheil  at  once  assured  me  that  he  would  give  me 
every  assistance  in  his  power,  in  order  to  reach  Bokhara  in  safety. 
He  (Colonel  Sheil)  had  also  detained  in  his  house  Meshedee  Rajab, 
from  Heraut,  who  for  three  years  was  servant  to  Colonel  Stoddart,  by 
whom  he  was  sent  to  Cabul.  He  had  suffered  imprisonment  at  Bok- 
hara, and  I  took  him  into  my  service  to  accompany  me  to  that  city. 
Stoddart  and  Conolly  owed  him  one  hundred  and  eighty  tomauns, 
which  were  paid  to  him  by  Colonel  Sheil. 

Colonel  Sheil  told  me  that  he  bad  seen  the  Eljee  (ambassador)  from 
Bokhara,  who  told  him  that  he  did  not  believe  that  Colonel  Stoddart 
and  Captain  Conolly  were  killed,  but  kept  in  prison.  But  the  Rus- 
sian ambassador  told  me  that  the  Eljee  from  Bokhara  had  told  him 
that  they  were  killed.  I  asked  Rajab,  my  servant,  what  his  impres- 
sion was :  he  told  me  it  was  not  certain  that  they  were  killed,  for 
there  had  been  people  at  Bokhara  detained  frequently  for  five  years 
in  prison,  and  believed  by  all  the  inhabitants  to  have  been  killed,  and 
then  suddenly  had  made  their  appearance  again.  So  much  is  certain, 
that  no  one  at  Bokhara  of  whom  I  can  get  intelligence  has  witnessed 
the  execution  either  of  Conolly  or  Stoddart ;  and  at  least  in  this  point 


132  NARRATIVE   OF    THE   MISSION 

• 

the  account  of  the  Akhund-Zadeh,  with  regard  to  the  execution  of  both 
gentlemen  in  the  presence  of  many  people,  is  not  exact :  and  my  de- 
termination, therefore,  of  going  straight  to  Bokhara  was  unshaken 
and  unabated.  Eine  feste  Burg  ist  unser  Gott- — "  My  castle  strong 
the  Lord  he  is." 

I  must  confess  that  I  attached  no  importance  to  the  account  of  Latif, 
who  appeared  at  Hyderabad  with  the  story  of  having  had  letters  from 
Stoddart,  which  had  been  taken  from  him,  and  that  he  was  alive  ;  nor 
to  the  totally  opposite  account  of  the  Jew  Barenstein  at  Lahore,  pre- 
tending to  have  witnessed  the  execution  of  both,  with  four  others. 

I  did  not  believe  Latif 's  account,  for,  1st,  it  seemed  improbable  that 
they  should  take  the  letters  from  him,  and  suffer  him  to  proceed  on  to 
India ;  2nd,  I  always  found  that  people  flying  off  in  their  story  on  a 
subject  of  the  highest  importance,  to  a  trivial  matter,  try  by  that  to 
avoid  a  strict  investigation  on  the  graver  question.  Thus,  for  instance, 
when  I  had  the  intention  of  going  to  Timboktoo  in  the  year  1836,  a 
Maltese  was  sent  to  me  who  pretended  to  have  been  at  Timboktoo : 
on  my  examining  him  he  diverged  in  his  answers  as  fast  as  he  could 
from  the  main  point,  and  began  to  talk  about  Rome.  I  suspected  him 
at  once ;  and  after  this  I  heard  by  Mr.  Dixon,  the  Swedish  consul  of 
Tripoli,  that  the  above  Maltese  had  never  come  further  than  Tripoli. 
Thus  Latif  was  examined  by  the  authorities  at  Hyderabad,  and  he 
flew  off  and  talked  about  Yar  Muhammed  Khan  at  Heraut,  and  the 
regret  of  the  people  of  Cande^ar ;  and  beside  this,  Rajab,  who  knew 
Latif,  told  me  that  he  was  a  notorious  liar. 

Nor  did  I  believe  Barenstein's  Account,  for  it  was  entirely  in  con- 
tradiction with  Saleh  Muhammed 's  account,  and  every  one  who  knows 
the  timid  disposition  of  the  Jews  of  Bokhara  will  know  at  once  that 
they  would  have  prevented  Barenstein  from  witnessing  such  a  horrid 
act ;  and,  as  I  have  already  said,  thus  much  \*as  certain,  that  nobody 
had  witnessed  their  execution  ;  and  even  the  ambassador  of  Bokhara 
expressed  only  to  the  Russian  ambassador  his  belief  that  they  had 
been  killed.  In  short,  nobody  knew,  and  therefore  further  sifting  was 
necessary.  Another  fact  struck  me  :  according  to  &ileh  Muham- 
med's  account,  the  Ameer  was  induced  to  kill  them,  because  people 
from  Affghanistaun  demanded  their  death ;  and  the  Russian  ambas- 
sador told  me  that  the  Bokhara  Eljee  told  him,  that  the  Ameer  had 
proceeded  against  Stoddart  for  having  despised  his  warning,  and  con- 
tinued his  correspondence  with  his  countrymen  in  India,  and  Conolly 
for  having  gone  to  Khokand.  I  myself  did  not  like  to  go  to  the  Eljee 
of  Bokhara  until  I  had  seen  the  Shah  and  his  prime  minister,  and  with 
both  Colonel  Sheil  promised  to  procure  me  an  interview.  To  Bokhara 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  133 

— to  Bokhara !  was  my  firm  resolve  ;  and  even  if  the  Ameer  should 
tell  me  that  they  were  dead,  I  was  determined  to  demand  their  bodies, 
to  put  them  in  camphor,  and  carry  them  with  me  to  Constantino, 
pie,  and  thence  to  London ;  at  all  events,  I  determined  to  see  their 
bodies. 

The  King  of  Persia  wrote  a  letter  to  his  relation  at  Meshed,  com- 
manding  him  to  send  on  with  me  a  mehmoondar  to  Merwe,  which  be- 
longs now  to  the  King  of  Bokhara  ;  and  the  prime  minister  wrote  a 
letter  to  Mirza  Askere,  the  chief  priest  at  Meshed,  requesting  him  to 
give  me  strong  letters  to  his  influential  friends  at  Bokhara. 

His  Excellency  Count  de  Medem  promised  me  a  letter  of  recom- 
mendation in  Russian,  and  I  requested  him  also  to  have  my  doctor's 
diplomas  and  ordination  papers  translated  into  Russian  •  for  they  have 
Russian  interpreters  at  Bokhara. 

His  Excellency,  agreeable  to  his  promise,  forwarded  me  the  follow- 
ing letter  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara : 

January  30,  1844. 

Doctor  Joseph  Wolff,  a  Christain  Priest,  of  great  celebrity  in  Europe,  and  well 
known  there  for  his  extreme  piety,  has  now  determined  on  a  journey  to  Bokhara, 
with  the  intention  of  obtaining  of  Your  Majesty  the  liberation  of  Colonel  Stoddart 
and  Captain  Conolly,  his  personal  friends,  in  order  to  conduct  them  to  Europe,  by 
the  route  of  Meshed  and  Constantinople,  or  rather  by  Orenburg  and  St.  Petersburgh, 
according  to  circumstances. 

Dr.  Wolff  has  determined  on  this  voyage  hi  full  reliance  on  the  Most  High,  and 
the  wishes  of  all  the  European  nations,  who  consider  him  as  a  derveesh  exclusively 
occupied  with  religious  and  scientific  meditations,  and  completely  indiflerent  to 
worldly  affairs,  accompany  him  in  his  enterprise. 

Persuaded  that  the  recommendation  of  the  Minister  of  His  Majesty  the  Emperor 
of  Russia,  in  Persia,  will  contribute  to  obtain  for  him  a  favourable  and  gracious  re- 
ception on  the  part  of  Your  Majesty,  I  take  the  liberty  of  strengthening  him  by  this 
note. 

The  object  of  Dr.  Wolff  is  also  to  deliver  many  other  Europeans  retained  hi 
slavery  in  Asia,  and  among  this  number  is  a  Cavaliere  Naselli,  who  two  years  since 
went  from  Teheraun  to  Bokhara,  and  to  whom  I  trust  Your  Majesty  will  not  deny 
pel-mission  to  return  to  his  country  if  he  manifests  any  desire  to  do  so. 

I  preached  and  read  prayers  in  my  room  in  the  British  Embassy, 
when  Count  de  Medem  and  all  the  interpreters  and  Russian  attaches, 
and  also  the  Russian  consul-general,  besides  the  English  Protestants, 
attended.  I  preached  on  Psalm  ii.,  verse  8. 

There  are  here  also  two  interesting  gentlemen  attached  to  the  Brit- 
ish embassy  :  Mr.  W.  Taylour  Thomson,  from  Scotland,  who  had  ac- 
companied Colonel  Chesney  in  his  Euphrates  expedition,  and  has  also 
visited  Khiva  ;  and  Mr.  Glen,  son  to  the  celebrated  missionary  Glen, 
of  Astrachan.  He  (Mr.  Glen)  is  a  young  gentleman  of  very  con- 


134  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

siderable  acquirements,  and  is  well  acquainted  with  the  Oriental  lan- 
guages. Colonel  Sheil  himself  is  a  great  Persian  and  Turkish  scholar. 
I  also  met  again  here  with  my  old  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Read ;  the 
former  copied  my  journal  in  the  year  1831,  when  on  my  way  to  Bok- 
hara, and  bestowed  the  same  favour  again  on  me  now. 

From  this  moment  I  began  to  draw  "money  on  the  Drummonds  in 
good  earnest,  for  I  had  to  appear  respectably  at  Bokhara,  as  the  great 
mullah  from  England,  as  described  by  the  Sultan  and  the  Sheikh  Is- 
lam, and  others.  But  as  the  mullahs  among  the  Muhammedans  live 
with  great  simplicity,  I  determined  to  do  the  same.  I  also  determined 
not  to  neglect  to  search  for  the  other  officers  at  and  around  Bokhara, 
and  every  Sepoy  I  might  pick  up. 

I  met  here,  February  5th,  Mirza  Abool  Hassan  Khan,  minister  for 
foreign  affairs  ;  he  remembered  Lady  Catherine  Long.  Certainly 
Teheraun  is  an  agreeable  place  :  a  little  burst  of  the  sun  of  civiliza- 
tion on  me,  after  what  I  had  passed  and  what  I  knew  I  was  going  to, 
was  quite  charming.  I  shall  miss  its  sweet  society,  I  thought,  much 
in  the  deserts  of  Turkistaun.  Colonel  Sheil's  notion  of  keeping  the 
ambassador  of  Bokhara,  as  a  hostage  for  my  return,  I  thought  very 
good.  I  could  not  but  wish  that  a  different  idea  had  been  entertained 
of  Colonel  Sheil  by  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Committee.  I  was  re- 
ceived by  him  with  unaffected  kindness  and  hospitality,  and  with 
great  cordiality  also  by  Messrs.  Thomson  and  Glen,  the  attaches ;  and 
I  wish  this  to  be  understood  of  all  our  diplomatic  agents  in  Teheraun 
in  the  fullest  sense  that  the  words  unaffected  kindness  and  hospitality 
can  convey.  Mar  Yohannah,  the  Chaldean  bishop  from  Ooroomia, 
mentioned  above,  was  here  when  I  arrived.  From  conversations  with 
him  I  am  still  further  confirmed  in  my  notion  that  the  Chaldeans  are, 
as  they  themselves  say,  the  children  of  Israel. 

February  7th,  1844.     On  this  day  I  had  an  audience  of  the  Shah. 

Colonel  Sheil  was  kind  enough  to  introduce  me  to  His  Majesty. 
His  Majesty  sent,  previously  to  our  going  to  him,  the  nephew  of  His 
Excellency  Mirza  Abool  Hassan  Khan,  minister  for  foreign  affairs, 
who  called,  and  said  that  it  was  His  Majesty's  wish  to  see  me :  Colo- 
nel Sheil  and  Mr.  Thomson  accompanied  me.  I  had  put  on  my  ca- 
nonicals, and  my  Doctor's  Hood  over  them.  His  Majesty  was  sitting 
upon  a  divan  about  eight  feet  from  the  place  where  we  took  our  posi- 
tion. As  only  ambassadors  are  allowed  to  sit  down,  Colonel  Sheil, 
myself,  and  Mr.  Thomson  were  standing.  The  moment  we  had  made 
our  bows,  His  Majesty  at  once  said  that  he  was  rejoiced  to  see  me 
again,  and,  to  my  greatest  surprise,  reminded  me  of  all  the  minutise 
of  our  conversation  at  Meshed,  of  Lady  Georgiana  being  the  sister  to 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  135 

the  Earl  of  Orford,  of  her  having  been  at  Malta  during  my  peregrina- 
tions ;  that  I  was  made  prisoner  by  Muhammed  Khan  Kerahe ;  that  I 
had  only  one  son,  &c.  His.  Majesty  then  informed  me  that  he  had 
written  several  letters,  and  one  for  the  King  of  Bokhara  himself ;  and 
His  Majesty  admired  my  philanthropy,  and  told  me,  if  Stoddart  and 
Conolly  were  dead,  I  might  make  them  alive  by  my  prayers !  Once 
actually  I  forgot  myself,  and  interrupted  His  Majesty  whilst  he  was 
talking,  when  Colonel  Sheil  gave  me  a  push,  but  His  Majesty  wished 
me  to  say  what  I  wanted  to  say  ;  and  then  His  Majesty  continued  his 
assurances  of  his  protection  and  countenance.  We  made  our  bow, 
after  having  been  one  hour  with  His  Majesty,  and  then  retired :  we 
experienced  on  the  whole  a  most  gracious  reception. 

I  here  give  a  literal  translation  of  the  letter  of  the  Shah  to  the 
Ameer  of  Bokhara. 

(Translation.) 

The  Enlightener  of  the  dawn  of  Sovereignty  and  Dominion,  the  Personage 
worthy  to  occupy  the  throne  of  power  and  government,  the  Exalted  Star  in  the 
heaven  of  splendour  and  greatness,  the  Illustrious  Sun  in  the  firmament  of  magnifi- 
cence and  felicity,  the  Best  of  the  rulers  of  illustrious  rank,  the  Most  Excellent  of 
the  sovereigns  illustrious  for  their  generous  deeds,  the  Chosen  of  the  pillars  of  the 
governments  of  Islam,  the  Assister  in  the  path  of  the  religion  of  Mustapha,  Ameer 
Nusr  Oollah :  May  your  greatness  and  splendour  not  perish !  May  the  glory  of 
splendour,  sovereignty,  and  dominion,  be  with  you  ! 

We  make  known  to  your  friendly  mind  that  amity  and  cordiality  among  those 
who  believe  in  the  unity  of  God,  and  are  of  pure  minds  and  dispositions,  and  who 
secretly  and  publicly  coincide  with  each  other  in  opinion,  and  whose  native  coun- 
tries and  dominions  are  in  close  neighbourhood,  are  required,  and  it  is  therefore 
expedient,  that  the  chain  of  correspondence  should  never  at  any  time  be  broken,  or 
that  the  bonds  of  friendship  should  be  snapped  asunder  between  the  two  parties  of 
Islam. 

Now  as  the  High  in  Rank,  the  Possessor  of  genius  and  understanding,  the 
Endowed  with  sagacity  and  judgment,  the  Prop  of  the  learned  among  the  followers 
of  Messiah,  the  Chief  among  the  wise  people  of  Christendom,  the  English  Padre" 
Wolff  has  the  intention  of  proceeding  in  that  direction,  urged  by  the  sincere  friend- 
ship which  exists  between  us,  and  in  order  to  promote  the  unanimity  of  Islam,  we 
are  induced  to  issue  this  auspicious  friendship-denoting  letter,  the  love-increasing 
zephyrs  of  affection  being  reflected  towards  your  benevolent  mind,  and  the  opportu- 
nity being  favourable  for  announcing  the  ties  of  friendship  which  of  old  and  now 
bind  us. 

In  a  former  friendly  letter  we  requested  the  princely  Ameer,  as  friendship  and 
correspondence  are  established  between  the  two  ever-enduring  governments  of  Persia 
and  England,  that  the  high  in  rank  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  English 
officers,  who  have  been  for  some  time  at  Bokhara  and  are  detained  there,  should  be 
released  and  sent  along  with  a  trustworthy  person  to  Meshed. 

Now  as  the  above-mentioned  person  of  high  rank,  (Dr.  Wolff,)  is  proceeding  to 
Bokhara  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  release,  and  inquiring  into  the  condition  of 


136  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

those  two  officers,  we  also  hope  that  the  princely  Ameer,  as  the  above-mentioned 
person  of  high  rank  is  one  of  the  learned  and  distinguished  persons  of  that  govern- 
ment, will  enjoin  the  authorities  to  show  him  all  necessary  kindness  and  hospitality, 
so  that  he  may  with  all  freedom  and  tranquillity  employ  himself  in  making  inquiries 
as  to  their  condition,  and  so  that  having  completed  his  business  he  may  return 
perfectly  satisfied. 

The  peculiarities  ofthe  rules  of  friendship  and  cordiality  are  these ;  that  the  gates 
of  amity  and  correspondence  having  been  opened  by  the  keys  of  the  pen  of  una- 
nimity, you  should  send  letters  containing  the  glad  tidings  of  your  auspicious 
condition,  and  that  you  should  acquaint  the  ministers  of  this  government  with  all 
occurrences  of  importance,  and  believe  that  we  shall  conclude  them  agreeably  to 
tho  most  pure  friendship. 

May  the  days  of  sovereignty  and  dominion  be  perpetual. 

On  our  leaving  the  room,  Khosrof  Khan,  a  friend  of  Lady  Geor- 
giana,  was  in  waiting,  who  told  me  that  he  would  call  on  me.  He 
wanted  me  to  procure  him  one  of  the  newly-invented  bellows  to  make 
fire  with,  which  I  promised  to  get  for  him.  He  made  numerous  in- 
quiries about  my  son  and  wife  and  family.  He  is  one  of  the  chief 
eunuchs  of  the  King,  and  was  formerly  the  prime  favourite  of  Futt 
Allah  Shah,  but  is  not  so  much  so  of  the  present  King.  Is  it  not  ra- 
ther remarkable  that  several  of  these  eunuchs  are  married  to  several 
wives, — for  instance,  Manujar  Khan,  the  present  governor  of  Is- 
fahan ? 

February  10th,  I  went  to  call  on  the  ambassador  of  the  King  of 
Khiva,  of  whom  more  anon  ;  but  I  must  now  continue  to  speak  of  the 
visits  I  made  on  Wednesday,  the  7th  of  February.  After  I  had  left 
His  Majesty's  presence,  Mr.  Thomson  called,  with  me,  on  the  Haje 
Mirza  Agasee,  who  is  the  prime  minister  and  fac-totum  of  the  King, 
and  an  extraordinary  man  he  is.  He  has  the  King  entirely  in  his 
power ;  and,  under  the  garb  of  a  mullah,  he  lives  with  royal  pomp, 
and  scarcely  ever  says  that  the  King  will  do  so,  but  the  Haje  has 
commanded — I,  the  Haje,  intend  to  send  troops  to  Bokhara,  &c.  All 
the  rest  of  the  ministers  approach  him  with  reverence.  When  Mu- 
hammed  Shah  was  as  yet  prince,  Haje  Mirza  Agasee  was  his  tutor, 
and  predicted  to  him  that  he -should  be  King  ;  and  after  the  execution 
of  the  late  Kayem  Makaam  he  was  made  vizier.  He  received  me 
with  great  affability,  asked  me  to  sit  down  near  him ;  and  when  I  told 
him  that  I  considered  myself  happy  to  see  the  great  vizier  of  the  great 
Shah,  the  Haje  said,  "  I  am  no  vizier,  I  am  a  mullah,  like  yourself,  a 
poor  derveesh,  who  cares  nothing  for  this  world, — I  only  think  of  the 
other  world."  We  then  talked  about  England.  He  expressed  his 
admiration  of  the  rest  of  the  English  nation  ;  and  then  informed  me 
that  a  person  from  Khorassaun  had  written  to  him  that  Stoddart  and 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  137 

Conolly  had  been  killed,  but  he  was  not  certain  ;  but  I  called  after 
this  on  the  ambassador  of  the  King  of  Bokhara,  who  decidedly  denied 
the  whole  of  it,  and  believes  them  to  be  in  prison.  The  ambassador 
of  the  King  of  Bokhara,  and  his  secretary,  when  I  called  on  them, 
treated  me  with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  expressed  a  wish  to  accom- 
pany me  themselves  into  Bokhara,  and  assured  me  that  the  King 
would  receive  me  with  the  greatest  distinction.  In  short,  nothing  was 
known  at  Teheraun  about  them,  as  little  as  at  London,  and  only  my 
going  there  would  solve  the  mystery.  I  called  yesterday,  the  8th, 
also  on  the  ambassador  of  the  King  of  Khiva,  who  is  a  great  enemy 
to  the  King  of  Bokhara  ;  he  advised  me  to  request  of  Colonel  Sheil  to 
tell  the  Shah  that  he  would  not  allow  the  ambassador  of  Bokhara  to 
stir  from  Persia  until  I  had  safely  returned.  I,  of  course,  gave  no 
answer  to  this  advice,  as  Colonel  Sheil  did  not  wish  to  have  it  known 
that  he  had  already  spoken  to  the  Shah  about  it. 

Not  a  single-eye-witness  of  the  death  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  had  as 
yet  appeared  ;  the  ambassador  even  of  the  King  of  Khiva  was  not  able 
to  afford  me  any  additional  information.  "Maalloom  neest,"  "  Noth- 
ing is  certain  about  it,"  was  the  answer  to  all  inquiries.  I  do  not 
think  Colonel  Sheil  was  to  blame,  though  from  his  vicinity  it  might 
seem  that  he  could  easier  arrive  at  the  truth, — for  all  the  Persians 
have  such  a  horror  of  Bokhara  that  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to 
induce  them  to  go  there  even  for  a  thousand  tomauns.  Colonel  Sheil 
rendered  me  most  effectual  aid.  The  Russian  ambassador  has  done 
the  like.  With  all  these  aids,  Colonel  Sheil  says, — and  so  does  every 
one, — if  they  are  alive,  I  shall  get  them. 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention,  that  Colonel  Sheil  also  informed  me  that 
he  had  sent,  two  months  before  my  arrival  at  Teheraun,  a  ghulam  of 
the  embassy  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  at  Meshed,  requesting  that  His 
Excellency  would  send  an  express  messenger  to  Bokhara  with  letters 
to  the  Ameer,  in  order  that  the  Ameer  might  surrender  to  him  the 
bones  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  in  case  they  were  dead, 
and  their  persons  in  the  event  of  their  being  alive.  Now  I  must  say, 
if  such  a  thing  had  been  done  immediately  on  the  imprisonment  of 
Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  with  the  terror  that  the  Ameer 
feels  at  the  very  name  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  such  a  measure  would 
certainly  have  saved  their  lives.  Therefore,  as  I  am  now  in  England, 
and  reflect  on  these  points  more  coolly,  I  cannot  but  blame  Colonel 
Sheil  for  having  delayed  the  adoption  of  so  strong  a  measure  until  I 
was  en  route,  and  when  he  knew  that  I  was  en  route.  My  readers 
will  have  observed,  that  I  speak  of  Colonel  Sheil  with  all  the  gratitude  I 
owe  to  him,  and  with  a  due  sense  of  his  personal  kindness  to  me ;  but 

18 


138  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

still  a  portion  of  his  conduct  with  regard  to  these  gentlemen,  will  al- 
ways remain,  I  fear,  somewhat  mysterious. 

On  the  llth  of  February  I  preached  at  the  British  embassy  in  Ger- 
man and  English,  and  administered  the  sacrament  to  two  Chaldean 
bishops,  Mar  Yohannan  and  Mar  Joseph.  After  the  service  I  re- 
quested one  of  them,  Mar  Yohannan,  to  pronounce  the  blessing,  which 
he  did.  I  have  forwarded  from  them  letters  to  the  Bishop  of  London, 
requesting  him  to  print  their  Liturgy  in  London. 

On  reflection,  I  found  that  I  should  be  awkwardly  situated  at  Bok- 
hara. If  1  kept  a  journal  it  would  look  suspicious ;  I  therefore  deter- 
mined to  carry  neither  paper  nor  ink  with  me,  to  write  in  Persian, 
and  send  all  the  letters  through  the  medium  of  the  Ameer.  The  am- 
bassador of  the  King  of  Khiva,  a  hostile  power  to  Bokhara,  told  me 
that  his  Sovereign  had  a  great  esteem  for  Captain  Conolly  tnd  Mr. 
Thomson,  one  of  the  attaches  here,  and  he  had  warned  Conolly  on 
this  very  account  not  to  go  to  Bokhara. 

I  find  my  mission  has  excited  great  interest  in  St.  Petersburgh.  I 
met  here  a  Dr.  Labat,  professor  of  medicine  at  Paris,  who  assured  me 
also  of  this.  Letters  have  been  despatched  to  Orenbourg,  to  the  gov- 
ernor, to  render  me  all  the  assistance  in  his  power.  I  baptized  here, 
on  February  12th,  the  child  of  General  Semino,  whom  I  knew  at 
Meshed  in  1831-2.  The  Russian  consul-general  stood  godfather, 
and  Madame  Labat,  wife  of  the  gentleman  just  named,  godmother. 
I  read  the  service  in  English,  Italian,  and  German.  After  the  bap- 
tism a  splendid  breakfast  was  given.  Madame  Labat  is  an  extremely 
clever  woman.  She  has  accompanied  her  husband  to  Egypt,  Suez, 
Algiers,  St.  Petersburgh,  Astrachan,  Bakou,  Tiflis,  and  Teheraun ; 
and  they  purposed  at  that  time  going  to  Heraut,  but  he  became  after- 
wards physician  to  the  Shah.  The  child  I  baptized  was  as  black 
as  a  negro,  and  so  is  Madame  Semino,  who  was  formerly  Borowsky's 
wife. 

After  I  had  returned  in  1829  with  Lady  Georgiana,  from  Jerusa- 
lem to  Alexandria,  a  Jew,  Borowsky  by  name,  called  on  me,  of  dandy- 
like  appearance,  who  pretended  to  be  the  son  of  a  Jewess,  who  was 
mistress  of  Prince  Radzivil.  He  seemed  to  me  of  a  boasting  disposi- 
tion, which  rendered  me  reluctant  to  have  any  intercourse  with  him, 
and  he  supported  himself  at  Alexandria  by  giving  lessons  in  mathe- 
matics and  English.  He  left  Alexandria  in  the  beginning  of  1830, 
and  set  out  for  Bombay.  On  my  arrival  at  Tabreez  in  1831,  I  sat 
at  table  with  Sir  John  Campbell  and  Dr.  (now  Sir  John)  Me  Neill, 
when  a  letter  came  from  the  British  resident  of  Busheer,  mentioning 
to  Sir  John  Campbell  that  a  Polish  nobleman,  Borowsky  by  name, 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  139 

had  arrived  at  Busheer  from  Bombay ;  that  he  was  of  gentlemanly 
appearance,  but  as  he  had  brought  -no  letters  of  introduction,  he  had 
not  been  received  at  the  British  embassy.  I  immediately  said  to  Sir 
John  Campbell,  "  Borowsky  is  not  a  Polish  nobleman,  but  a  Jew 
whom  I  knew  at  Alexandria."  I  soon  after  left  Tabreez,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  my  way  to  Bokhara.  When  I  arrived  in  Khorassaun,  in 
1831,  towards  the  end  of  October,  I  was  made  a  slave  by  the  people 
of  Muhammed  Khan  Kerahe  of  Torbad  Hydarea,  who  went  by  the 
name  of  the  "  Head  Tearer,"  on  account  of  his  cruelty.  I  have  given 
some  details  of  this  personage  in  a  few  previous  pages.  After  I  was 
liberated  from  captivity,  by  the  interference  of  Abbas  Mirza,  I  arrived 
at  Meshed  in  utter  destitution.  I  wrote,  therefore,  to  Captain  Shee, 
who  was  with  the  army  of  Abbas  Mirza  at  Nishapoor,  requesting  him 
to  send  me  money  and  clothing.  A  few  days  after  my  having  writ- 
ten to  Captain  Shee,  a  gentleman  in  the  uniform  of  an  English  gen- 
eral entered  my  room,  exclaiming,  "  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Wolff?" 
It  was  General  Borowsky,  the  same  person  whom  I  knew  at  Alexan- 
dria. He  related  to  me  his  singular  adventures — singular  even  in  an 
Eastern  land,  where  men  do  seem  to  rise  as  it  were  by  the  possession 
of  Aladdin's  lamp,  or  some  process  equally  marvellous.  He  had  be- 
come acquainted  with  Colonel  Chesney  at  Busheer,  with  whom  he 
had  formed  an  intimate  friendship,  and  Colonel  Chesney  recommend- 
ed him  to  Sir  John  Campbell,  who  then  recommended  him  as  a  man 
of  talent  to  Abbas  Mirza.  That  prince  took  him  into  his  service. 
Borowsky  assisted  Abbas  Mirza  most  essentially,  taking  for  him  the 
strong  town  of  Cochan,  in  Khorassaun ;  and  it  was  Borowsky  also 
who  took  the  castle  of  Sarakhs,  and  made  prisoner  the  leader  of  the 
Turkomauns.  After  the  death  of  Abbas  Mirza,  he  gave  most  essen- 
tial assistance  to  Muhammed  Mirza,  the  son  of  Abbas  Mirza,  and 
enabled  him  to  ascend  the  throne  of  his  grandfather,  Futt  Allah  Shah. 
Borowsky  confessed  to  me  that  he  was  the  son  of  Jewish  parents,  on 
the  father's  as  well  as  the  mother's  side.  He  left  the  interest  of  the 
British  government,  and  joined  the  Russian  party  in  Persia,  and  was 
shot  at  the  siege  of  Heraut.  His  wife,  a  Georgian  slave,  received  a 
pension  from  Muhammed  Shah,  for  the  essential  services  Borowsky 
had  rendered  to  Abbas  Mirza,  and  after  his  death  married  General 
Semino. 

It  will  probably  be  thought  that  I  am  about  to  take  a  chapter  from 
Mr.  D'Israeli  in  the  following  assertions,  and  I  may  be  exposed,  like 
him,  to  the  laughing  gibes  of  that  sad  fellow,  Punch,  but  notwithstand- 
ing, it  is  true,  that  the  most  distinguished  generals  of  the  East  are 
Jews.  For  instance,  General  Jochmus,  who  distinguished  himself  in 


140  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

Spain,  and  at  last  in  Syria  against  Ibrahim  Pasha,  is  a  Jew  ;  General 
Ventura,  in  the  service  of  Runjeet  Singh,  and  afterwards  of  Sheer 
Singh,  at  Lahore,  and  who  was  the  terror  of  the  Affghans,  and  the 
beloved  governor  of  Cashmeer,  is  a  Jew  by  birth  ;  his  name  is  Reu- 
ben-Ben-Toora.  I  could  name  several  others.  General  Jochmus 
told  me  that  he  was  ready  to  march  to  Bokhara  with  a  detachment 
of  three  thousand  European  soldiers,  if  supported  by  the  British  gov- 
ernment. After  the  Jews,  the  Armenians  are  the  most  enterprising 
people  of  the  East.  Samson  Khan  and  Yakoob  Khan,  from  Tiflis, 
are  brave  and  valiant  generals  at  present  in  the  service  of  the  King 
of  Persia ;  and  Krimitzki,  Archbishop  of  the  Armenians  in  Persia 
and  Hindustaun,  has  established  of  late  an  excellent  college  at  New 
Joolfa,  where  the  Armenian  boys  are  instructed  in  the  French  and 
English  tongues. 

I  must  here  mention  some  curious  details  of  those  two  men,  Bo- 
rowsky  and  Semino,  which  happened  in  the  year  1831,  at  Meshed. 
Borowsky  was  in  my  room  when  Semino  entered  in  full  uniform,  and 
demanded  satisfaction  from  Borowsky  for  having  struck  his  (Semino's) 
servant.  Borowsky  told  him  that  he  had  been  impertinent  to  him. 
Semino  called  him  a  liar ;  upon  which  Borowsky  spat  in  his  face. 
Semino  then  drew  his  sword.  Borowsky  said,  "  I  will  give  you  satis- 
faction in  an  instant."  On  saying  this,  he  attempted  to  seize  his  pis- 
tols ;  on  which  Semino  gave  a  signal  to  his  eight  servants  at  the  door, 
who  entered,  bound  Borowsky,  and  carried  him  off.  I  immediately 
ran,  although  it  was  ten  at  night,  to  Abbas  Mirza,  and  procured 
Borowsky 's  release.  The  day  following  a  Persian  court  martial  was 
held,  to  which,  singular  to  say,  I  was  president,  and  I  decided  that 
Semino  should  remain  in  arrest  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  then  apolo- 
gize to  Borowsky,  as  well  as  to  myself.  And  this  was  done. 

Borowsky  died,  as  I  have  shown,  after  this,  and  left  behind  a  widow 
and  twenty-two  thousand  ducats.  Semino  married  Borowsky's  widow 
in  hopes  of  getting  his  money,  but  the  executors  of  Borowsky  made 
away  with  it.  He  got  the  widow  without  the  money.  Borowsky  might 
smile  at  him  in  the  other  world.  Semino,  though  I  thus  punished 
him,  as  I  have  stated,  was  now  my  great  friend. 

I  saw  this  day,  February  12th,  a  pompous  Mussulman  from  Masu- 
lipatam,  on  the  Coromandel  coast,  in  India,  famous  for  its  snuff.  He 
is,  however,  in  reality  of  a  renowned  race.  He  descends  from  the 
Sefaweya,  who  governed  Persia.  He  came  for  purposes  of  religious 
discussion,  but  my  mind  was  so  full  of  my  poor  friends  at  Bokhara, 
that  I  did  not  undertake  it,  and  simply  asked  him  some  questions 
about  the  Sefaweya  dynasty.  He  says  that  there  were  eleven  kings 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  141 

in  Persia  of  that  dynasty.      The  first  lived  in  1590.     I  give  their 
names : 

1.  Ismael,  son  of  Sultan  Junneyd. 

2.  Shah  Tahmanee. 

3.  Shah  Ismael. 

4.  Sultan  Muhammed. 

All  these  resided  at  Casween ;  the  following  at  Isfahan : 

5.  Shah  Abbas  the  Great. 

6.  Shah  Sapee. 

7.  Shah  Abbas  IT. 

8.  Shah  Suliiman. 

9.  Shah  Sultan  Hussein. 

10.  Shah  Taman. 

11.  Abbas  III. 

So  far  of  the  Sefaweya,  the  promoters  of  science  and  literature,  by 
whose  orders  the  Bible  and  Gospel  were  translated  into  Persian. 
Their  successors : 

12.  Nadir  Shah ;  after  him  three  kings,  who  reigned  a  few  months ;  and  then 
came  to  the  throne,    ' 

13.  Kereem  Khan,  who  married  a  daughter  of  the  Sefaweya. 

14.  Ali  Murad  Khan. 

This  day  also  the  ambassador  of  Khiva  called  on  Colonel  Sheil, 
and  brought  me  a  letter  of  recommendation  addressed  to  all  the  Turk- 
omauns  of  Sarakhs  subject  to  the  King  of  Khiva,  and  informing  them 
that  I  was  in  possession  of  letters  from  the  Sultan,  for  the  Kings  of 
Khiva,  Khokand,  and  Bokhara. 

:  On  my  departure  from  Teheraun,  Colonel  Sheil  could  scarce  con- 
ceal  his  grief  at  losing  me ;  he  gave  me  some  presents  for  the  King 
of  Bokhara,  consisting  of  a  watch,  &c.,  but  he  was  too  ill  to  accom- 
pany me  out  of  the  town  ;  Mr.  Abbot,  the  British  consul  of  Teheraun, 
Mr.  Holmes,  both  of  whom  had  arrived  the  day  before  my  departure 
from  Teheraun  in  this  capital,  Messieurs  Thomson,  Reed,  Karapet, 
and  Glen,  accompanied  me  one  farsagh  (four  miles)  out  of  town.  1 
was  on  February  the  14th,  escorted  by  Sadik  Beyk,  His  Majesty's 
courier  (gholam),  Korban  Ali  Beyk,  courier  (gholam)  to  the  British 
embassy,  Rajab,  late  servant  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly, 
Jaarwadar  (muleteer),  and  a  postillion  (Shakerd  Japarjee)  •  and  fur- 
nished, beside  my  various  letters  of  introduction,  with  a  firmaun  from 
the  King,  containing  an  order  to  the  burgomaster  (Ked  Khoda),  and 
every  Hakem  (governor),  of  every  town,  to  give  to  me,  in  every  sta- 


142  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

tion,  without  money,  four  chickens,  pilaw,  fifteen  pounds  of  butter,  ten 
mans  of  wood,  five  pounds  of  wax  candles,  barley  and  straw  for  the 
horses,  and  five  horses.  I  arrived  the  first  day  at  Palasht,  a  misera- 
ble village,  containing  about  twenty-five  houses,  twenty  miles  from 
Teheraun. 

Thursday,  the  15th,  I  was  annoyed  by  the  muleteer,  on  account  of 
the  bad  horses  he  had  procured;  but  as  the  post-horses  are  not  al- 
ways to  be  got,  I  preferred  hiring  five  with  my  own  money  to  the 
trouble  of  waiting  for  them,  and  the  whole  hire  did  not  amount  to 
seventeen  tomauns  and  five  sahebkeran  (£8  10s.)  from  Teheraun  to 
Meshed.  We  reached  that  day  Jvanee-Keif,  twenty-eight  miles  from 
the  former,  a  very  considerable  village,  surrounded  by  a  range  of 
gardens.  Though  I  travelled  at  His  Majesty's  expense,  I  of  course 
gave  always  two  or  three  sahebkeran  (one  sahebkeran=sixpence)  as 
a  present,  but  the  person  with  whom  I  lodged  was  over  civil,  for  which 
he  expected  a  large  present,  but  was  disappointed ;  and  I  must  say 
that  I  never  was  so  fortunate  with  servants  as  this  journey — excellent 
servants  they  were,  though  of  different  characters ;  I  mean  by  ser- 
vants, all  the  attendants  above  mentioned. 

Friday,  the  16th  February,  we  went  between  the  mountains  called 
Darey  Khar.  Many  murders  have  been  committed  in  this  pass.  We 
met  here  people  from  Heraut,  who  told  me  that  they  were  returning 
to  Heraut  with  the  intention  to  murder  Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  the 
vizier  of  Heraut,  who  had  murdered  their  King,  Shah  Kamran,  and 
was  now  tyrannizing  over  the  people  of  Heraut.  We  arrived  that 
day  at  Kitshlagh,  twenty  miles  from  the  Darey-Khar. 

Saturday,  the  17th,  we  went  towards  Deh-Namak  (Village  of  Salt), 
for  the  ground  and  water  is  salt.  On  the  road  we  met  pilgrims  on 
horseback,  who  on  their  way  to  Meshed  sang  praises  to  Muhammed  : 

Comfort  to  Muhammed ! 

Comfort  to  AH ! 

Prayers  are  worthy  to  be  given  to  Muhammed ! 

Here  I  was  informed  that  there  is  a  sect  existing  at  Mazanderan 
who  have  a  superstitious  belief  in  the  effect  of  eating  swine's  flesh. 

Sunday,  the  18th  February,  arrived  at  Lasgerd,  forty  miles  from 
the  Deh-Namak.  There  I  remained  over  night  in  a  castle,  a  most 
ancient  building,  built  evidently  before  the  appearance  of  the  Prophet, 
and  the  saying  is  current  that  Genii  had  erected  it.  This  spot  was 
formerly  a  famous  place  for  Guebres.  The  inhabitants  told  me  that 
the  Genii  were  since  the  time  of  the  Prophet  banished  to  Taht  Solei- 
man,  near  Tabreez,  to  Mazanderan  and  Sistan,  but  they  are  now 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  143 

chained,  so  that  they  are  not  able,  as  in  former  times,  to  carry  away 
beautiful  girls  and  children. 

Monday,  the  19th,  on  passing  the  village  Surkhak,  we  saw  that 
Prince  Seif  Ullah  Mirza  was  on  his  hunting  expedition,  and  met  his 
hounds.  He  is  governor  of  Semnan,  and  brother  to  the  King.  After 
twenty  miles  ride  we  arrived  at  Semnan,  a  considerable  town,  contain- 
ing about  6000  inhabitants.  So  far  we  travelled  in  the  province  of 
Irak.  Semnan  is  the,  first  town  belonging  to  Khorassaun,  coming 
from  Teheraun.  It  contains  several  colleges.  The  vice-governor 
gave  me  a  very  good  room  in  the  caravanseray,  and  sent  me  the  vic- 
tuals ordered  by  the  King. 

As  I  was  not  quite  well,  I  stopped  at  Semnan  the  next  day,  and 
called  on  the  prince,  who  spoke  with  great  regard  of  Colonel  Stoddart, 
whom  he  knew  personally.  He  spoke,  also,  very  highly  of  Sir  John 
Me  Neile,  though  he  and  all  the  Persians  accuse  Sir  John  of  having 
been  the  cause  why  Muhammed  Shah  could  not  take  Heraut.  His 
Highness  sent  me  venison. 

Wednesday,  the  21st  February,  we  arrived  at  Aghwan,  a  caravan- 
seray twenty-four  miles  distant.  A  child  was  lost  here  in  former 
times,  which  was  restored  to  the  mother  by  an  animal  called  Aghu, 
at  the  intercession  of  the  great  patron  saint  of  Khorassaun,  Imam 
Resa  ;  hence,  the  caravanseray  is  called  Aghwan. 

Thursday,  the  22nd  February,  we  left  this  caravanseray,  and  passed 
the  ruined  castle  built  by  Nushirwan.  We  passed  the  cold  mountain 
Tatawar,  and  arrived  at  a  castle  built  by  the  present  Shah,  called 
Sultan-Abad*,  near  the  caravanseray  called  Khosha,  built  by  Shah 
Abbas.  Muhammed  Shereef  Khan,  from  Casween,  assured  me  that 
he  was  a  great  friend  to  the  English  people,  for  which  he  desired  me 
to  give  him  wine  ;  as  I  had  with  me  a  few  bottles  given  to  me  by  Col- 
onel Shell,  I  gave  to  him  one  of  them.  The  climate  is  particularly 
cold  here. 

Friday,  the  23rd  of  February.  Arrived,  after  twenty-four  miles 
ride,  at  Damghan,  considered,  after  Balkh  and  Nishapoor,  the  most 
ancient  city  in  the  world ;  and  the  numerous  ruins  testify  the  truth 
of  its  antiquity.  But  the  Kedkhoda  (burgomaster),  who  had  been 
previously  informed  that  a  great  (Elchee)  ambassador  from  England 
was  coming,  with  above  two  hundred  men,  was  so  frightened  that  he 
fled  from  the  town,  and  the  colonel  (Serhenk)  was  obliged  to  procure 
victuals  for  me. 

Saturday,  February  24th,  we  arrived  at  Deh-Mullah ;  as  I  felt 
very  unwell,  I  got  a  barber  to  bleed  me. 

*  Abad,  abode.    A  curious  union  of  European  and  Asiatic  terms. 


144  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

Sunday,  the  25th,  I  arrived  at  Sharoot,  a  city  containing  about  two 
thousand  inhabitants.  I  lived  here  in  a  house  erected  expressly  for 
the  reception  of  respectable  strangers  by  Ismael  Mirza,  formerly 
prince  governor  of  Boostan,  the  same  who,  twelve  years  ago,  wanted 
to  exact  a  promise  from  me,  that  King  William  should  give  him  six 
thousand  tomauns  per  annum,  in  case  of  his  sending  me  safely  to  Bok- 
hara :  a  pension  which  just  now  would  be  welcome  to  him,  for  he 
lives  now  at  Teheraun  in  poverty.  It  is  surprising  to  observe  the 
change  of  feeling  in  Khorassaun  towards  the  English  people.  Twelve 
years  ago,  the  people  of  Sharoot  insulted  my  servants  for  serving  an 
infidel ;  now,  I  entered  Sharoot  in  my  clerical  habit  and  gown,  and 
was  well  respected.  This  change  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the  entrance 
of  Abbas  Mirza  into  Khorassaun,  which  brought,  for  the  first  time, 
many  English  people  into  notice  in  this  country ;  and  also  to  the 
invasion  of  the  British  army  in  Affghanistaun.  On  Monday  I  re- 
mained here,  and  visited  the  Muhammedan  college  of  Sharoot,  and 
conversed  about  the  Gospel  with  their  mullahs. 

February  27th,  I  arrived  at  Miyamey,  and  on  the  28th  at  Miyan- 
dasht.  From  Miyandasht  to  Meher,  the  road  is  considered  rather  dan- 
gerous, for  the  Turkomauns  sometimes  make  it  still  unsafe,  though  not 
in  such  a  degree  as  formerly  ;  I  therefore  was,  according  to  the  or- 
der of  the  King,  escorted,  and  Korban  Khan,  of  Miyandasht,  himself, 
with  five  horsemen  armed,  accompanied  me  to  Abbas-Abad ;  and  I 
must  here  observe,  that  Korban  Khan  behaved  in  a  very  handsome 
and  disinterested  manner.  The  road  to  Abbas-Abad  is  very  dreary, 
and  not  a  single  village  was  seen  for  forty  miles. 

February  29th,  I  arrived  at  Abbas  Abad,  twenty  miles. 

March  1st,  1844',  we  arrived  at  Massenan,  formerly  a  large  town, 
but  now  in  ruins. 

March  2nd,  I  arrived  at  Meher,  where  I  met  a  person  from  Torbad, 
who  immediately  recognised  me  as  the  person  who  formerly  was  slave 
at  Torbad.  I  also  met  a  person,  Soleiman  by  name,  who  was  Stod- 
dart's  servant  for  a  few  days. 

Sunday,  March  3rd,  we  arrived  at  a  beautiful  village  called  Khos- 
roejerd.  I  had  sent  on  the  King's  courier  to  procure  me  a  place  for 
one  hour's  rest,  but  the  fellow  was  tired,  as  well  as  myself,  and  took 
lodging  for  staying  there  over  night. 

Monday,  March  4th,  we  arrived  at  Sebzawar,  four  miles  distant ;  a 
town  containing  twelve  thousand  inhabitants.  Here  Tamerlane  built 
a  tower  of  the  sculls  of  men  whom  he  had  slain  in  battle,  and  hither 
it  was  that  the  Jews  were  transported  from  Kaswin  to  Khoras- 
saun, by  Shah  Abbas.  Sebzawar  is  covered  with  verdure  and 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  145 

melons  in  profusion.  Hence  it  derives  its  name,  Selz,  verdure ; 
Awar,  having.  All  the  mullahs  called  on  me  ;  and  as  the  Persians 
dislike  Omar,  Osman,  and  Abubekr,  they  asked  me  therefore :  "  Whom 
do  you  like  better,  Omar,  Osman,  and  Abubekr,  or  Ali,  Imam  Hus- 
sein, Imam  Resa,  and  Abool  Casern  ?"  W.  The  latter.  Mullahs. 
Why  ?  W.  Omar,  Osman,  and  Abubekr  killed  people  ;  but  the  lat- 
ter were  more  conciliating. 

Tuesday,  March  5th,  I  arrived  in  a  miserable  village  called 
Safran. 

Wednesday,  March  6th,  at  Germ-Ab,  i.  e.  Warm  water,  for  there 
is  a  spa.  As  I  had  learnt  that  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  (viceroy)  of 
Khorassaun,  and  uncle  to  the  King,  for  whom  I  had  letters  from  the 
King,  and  who  resides  at  Meshed,  was  only  twenty  miles  distant  from 
Germ-Ab,  for  his  diversion,  in  a  place  called  Maadan ;  I  therefore 
sent  to  him  the  King's  courier,  my  mehmoondar,  to  ask  His  Excel- 
lency whether  he  would  receive  me  there  or  at  Meshed.  My  meh- 
moondar returned  late  in  the  night,  with  a  letter  from  the  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla  (viceroy)  for  his  lieutenant-governor,  at  Meshed,  to  procure  a 
good  house  for  me  at  Meshed,  and  provide  me  with  everything  neces- 
sary, and  at  the  same  time  with  a  message  to  me,  that  he  would  re- 
ceive me  at  Meshed,  on  the  25th  of  the  month  Saffar,  i.  e.,  the  15lh 
of  March,  (after  to-morrow,)  when  he  would  be  at  Meshed ;  and  he 
sent  me  word  that  Stoddart  and  Conolly  were  alive  eleven  months 
ago,  and  that  he  had  sent,  only  ten  days  before  my  arrival  at  Germ- 
Ab,  Hassan  Baba,  a  Merwee,  with  presents  to  the  King  of  Bokhara, 
at  the  request  of  Colonel  Sheil.  For  Colonel  Sheil,  as  I  mentioned, 
had  sent  three  months  before  my  arrival  at  Teheraun,  an  express 
Ghulam  to  Meshed,  requesting  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  to  send  on  a  man 
to  Bokhara,  and  to  demand  the  bones  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain 
Conolly.  Now  is  it  not  very  remarkable,  that  the  man,  though  sent 
from  Teheraun  three  months  before  my  arrival  there,  should  have 
been  delayed  four  months  at  Meshed,  until  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla 
granted  the  wish  of  Colonel  Sheil.  That  the  man  waited  at  Meshed 
four  months  until  he  was  admitted  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  is  evi- 
dent from  the  circumstance  that  the  Ghulam  of  Colonel  Sheil  came 
to  Germ-Ab  on  his  way  back  to  Teheraun.  When  I  asked  him, 
"  Why  did  you  stop  so  long  at  Meshed  ?"  he  answered  me  that 
Muhammed  Ali  Serraf,  Colonel  Stoddart's  agent,  to  whose  care 
the  letter  was  sent  by  Colonel  Sheil,  delayed  giving  it  to  the  As- 
saff-ood-Dowla until  eleven  days  before  I  met  the  Ghulam  at  Germ- 
Ab.  Now  here  I  cannot  avoid  making  another  remark,  for  the  mat- 
ter is  too  important  to  be  hastily  passed  over.  Before  I  left  England 

19 


146  NARRATIVE   OF    THE    MISSION 

I  wrote  a  confidential  letter  to  Mr.  Addington,  of  the  Foreign  Office, 
telling  him  that  I  should  do  all  in  my  power  to  prevent  any  political 
discussion  on  account  of  my  mission,  in  order  that  my  mission  might 
assume  its  true  form,  and  not  become  a  question  of  Whig  or  Tory. 
The  subject  is,  however,  too  important  to  be  passed  over,  and  since  I 
have  come  back,  and  been  enabled  to  reflect  on  the  subject,  I  must 
say  that  it  was  very  unfortunate  that  Colonel  Sheil  did  not  know,  be- 
fore he  reposed  such  confidence  in  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf,  the  charac- 
ter of  the  man ;  and  thus  the  safety  of  the  lives  of  the  two  Envoys 
were  left  dependent  on  the  trustworthiness  of  a  villainous  Persian, 
who  was  surreptitiously  concealing  the  property  of  one  of  the  victims, 
whom  from  the  basest  motives  he  had  left  to  perish  at  Bokhara,  hold- 
ing his  property  from  him  and  his  relatives,  and  sacrificing  his  life. 

Thursday,  March  7th,  1844,  I  arrived  at  Nishapoor.  YoussufF 
Kakulli,  a  Turkomaun  from  Khiva,  and  Hassan  Khan  Kurd,  from 
Mazanderaun,  both  chiefs,  called  on  me  there ;  and  Kakulli  showed 
to  me  a  letter  from  his  brother  at  Bokhara,  who  assured  him  that  the 
tall  Englishman  was  still  alive  at  Bokhara.  Tamas  Beyk,  chief  of 
the  couriers  in  Khorassaun,  to  whom  all  the  couriers  (Japarjees)  and 
the  Kafila  Bashis  (heads  of  caravans)  from  Khorassaun  come,  a  man 
active  and  well-inclined  to  the  English  interest,  also  called  on  me, 
and  assured  me  that  Mullah  Kurban,  the  Kafila  Bashi  from  Mymona, 
had  assured  him  that  Stoddart  and  Conolly  were  still  alive,  in  the  Ka- 
laa  (castle)  outside  Bokhara. 

Friday,  March  8th,  I  stopped  on  purpose  with  Tamas  Beyk,  to  see 
whether  he  would  remain  consistent  in  his  story,  and  he  did. 

Saturday,  I  arrived  in  the  village  called  Kadamgah  (Place  of  the 
foot),  inhabited  by  Sayids,  where  my  mehmoondar  had  prepared  a 
place  for  me  in  the  mosque,  but  I  declined  accepting  it,  observing  that 
it  was  not  decent  to  sleep  in  a  place  of  worship :  all  the  Sayids  ex- 
claimed, "  Khoob  ademee,"  "  He  is  a  good  man."  Several  of  the  chief 
Sayids  came  to  me,  and  wished  to  obtain  from  me  a  notion  of  the  re- 
ligion which  I  profess,  and  which  I  faithfully  conveyed  to  them. 
Many  of  them  expressed  a  wish  to  go  to  England,  and  be  better  in- 
formed of  our  religion  and  habits.  The  change  for  the  better  I  have 
met  with  in  Khorassaun,  since  the  time  I  was  here  in  1831,  is  surpri- 
sing :  a  proof  of  what  a  more  regulated  government  is  able  to  effect ; 
for  it  is  evidently  now  better  governed  by  the  King  and  his  lord  lieu- 
tenant, than  it  was  under  those  tyrannical  khans,  who  have  been  suc- 
cessfully exterminated,  in  a  most  wonderful  manner  ;  and  the  invasion 
of  the  British  in  AfFghanistaun  has  also  much  contributed  towards  it. 

Sunday,  the   10th,  arrived  at  Shereef-Abad,  the  place  where  I,  in 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  147 

1831,  was  the  second  time  in  danger  of  being  made  slave,  and  where 
I  was  beaten  for  not  saying  the  Kalima.  I  lived  now  again  in  the 
same  house,  feared  and  respected  ;  though  arriving  in  my  clergyman's 
gown,  which  made  them  stare. 

On  Monday,  the  llth  of  March,  I  arrived  at  Askerea,  two  miles 
distant  from  Meshed.  I  had  sent  on  before  the  King's  mehmoondar, 
and  the  gholam  of  the  British  embassy.  The  first  who  came  to  meet 
me  was  Mullah  Mehdee  (Meshiakh),  the  Jew  with  whom  I  had  lodged 
twelve  years  ago,  and  who  treated  me  most  hospitably  when  in  distress 
and  misery  and  poverty,  previous  to  the  arrival  of  Abbas  Mirza  at 
Meshed,  from  Nishapoor. 

All  the  Jews  of  Meshed,  a  hundred  and  fifty  families,  were  compelled, 
seven  years  ago,  to  turn  Mussulmans.  The  occasion  was  as  follows : 
A  poor  woman  had  a  sore  hand ;  a  Mussulman  physician  advised  her 
to  kill  a  dog  and  put  her  hand  in  the  blood  of  it ;  she  did  so ;  when  sud- 
denly the  whole  population  rose,  and  said  that  they  had  done  it  in  derision 
of  their  Prophet.  Thirty-five  Jews  were  killed  in  a  few  minutes ;  the 
rest,  struck  with  terror,  became  Muhammedans  ;  and  the  fanatic  and 
covetous  Muhammedans  shouted,  (^j\~)t\  VL  JtXSJ  J*c£  )£ 
"  Light  of  Muhammed  has  fallen  upon  them !"  They  are  now  more 
zealous  Jews  in  secret  than  ever ;  but  call  themselves,  like  the  Jews 
in  Spain,  Anusim,  "  the  compelled  ones !"  Their  children  cannot 
suppress  their  feelings  when  their  parents  call  them  by  their  Muham- 
medan  names  !  But  Mullah  Mehdee  and  Mullah  Moshe  believe  in 
Christ,  and  Mullah  Mehdee  asked  me  to  baptize  him.  He  has  been  of 
the  greatest  use  to  the  English  in  Heraut  and  Candahar,  as  his  testi- 
monials from  Rawlinson  and  others  amply  testify. 

Soon  after,  Saleh  Muhammed,  the  Akhund-Zadeh  who  gave  to 
Colonel  Sheil  the  detailed  account  of  the  death  of  Stoddart  and  Con- 
oily,  came  also  on  horseback  to  meet  me.  He  is  not  the  same  person 
whom  I  supposed  that  I  knew,  and  he  is  a  Sunnee,  and  may  have 
heard  the  story  at  Bokhara ;  but  I  did  not  believe  the  truth  of  it,  and 
was  still  of  the  opinion  with  many  others,  that  both  were  alive. 

The  third  who  came  out  to  meet  me  was  Mullah  Muhammed  Serraf, 
Colonel  Stoddart's  agent  at  Meshed.  This  person,  I  was  informed  by 
Mullah  Mehdee  and  others,  held  property  in  his  possession  to  a  consid- 
erable amount  belonging  to  Colonel  Stoddart.  He  himself  never  uttered 
a  word  about  it ;  on  the  contrary,  he  spoke  to  me  of  Colonel  Stoddart's 
being  in  his  debt.  He  (Mullah  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf)  seemed  to  me 
to  be  a  civil,  many-promises-making  fellow,  boasting  of  the  services 
he  did  to  the  English — a  cowardly  rogue,  only  bent  upon  his  own  inter- 


148  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

est,  and  who  had  most  shamefully  neglected  Colonel  Stoddart's  welfare, 
for  which  he  was  paid.  At  the  recommendation  of  Colonel  Stoddart 
himself,  who  seemed  to  have  been  imposed  upon  by  the  said  mullah, 
Colonel  Sheil  forwarded  through  him  all  the  letters  to  Stoddart.  Now 
what  struck  me  as  strange  in  him  was  this ;  that  the  first  thing  he  told 
me  was :  "  I  shall  now  deliver  to  you  the  letter  Colonel  Sheil  sent  to  me 
from  the  Sultan  of  Constantinople." 

W.  Why  did  you  not  send  long  ago  a  man  with  the  letter  to  Bok- 
hara, which  you  sent  back  once  to  Colonel  Sheil  after  the  report  of 
Stoddart's  death,  and  which  was  sent  a  second  time  to  you  by  Colonel 
Sheil  for  the  purpose  of  forwarding  it  on  ? 

M.  M.  A.  S.  Every  one  was  afraid  to  take  it. 

W.  Why  did  you  not  send  on  the  letter  with  the  man  of  the  Assaf- 
ood-Dowla,  who  was  sent  to  Bokhara  at  Colonel  Sheil's  request  thir- 
teen days  ago  ? 

M.  M.  A.  S.  I  was  afraid  that  the  King  of  Bokhara  might  ask  the 
man  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  "  What  have  you  to  do  with  the  Sultan 
of  Constantinople  ?  Who  gave  you  this  letter  ?" 

Could  anything  be  more  annoying  than  this?  Beside  this,  Mr. 
Macnaghten  and  Miss  Stoddart  had  forwarded,  one  year  ago,  letters  to 
Colonel  Sheil  from  Sir  Moses  Montefiore,  at  my  advice,  for  the  Jews 
of  Samarcand,  Bokhara,  and  Balkh :  all  these  letters  Mullah  Muham- 
med  AH  Serraf  told  me  he  had  sent  on  only  one  mon+h  ago  to  the  Jews 
of  Bokhara, — if  he  sent  them  at  all.  I  became  therefore  more  anx- 
ious than  ever  to  go  to  Bokhara,  and  determined  that  nothing  should 
prevent  me  from  my  design  but  death ;  for  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  him- 
self sent  me  word,  that  he  had  learnt  that,  eleven  months  ago,  both  had 
been  alive.  And  I  wrote  therefore  a  second  letter  to  the  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla,  on  my  arrival  at  Meshed,  beseeching  him  to  send  me  on  with 
the  greatest  speed  and  haste ;  and  His  Excellency  proved  that  he  was 
ready  to  do  so,  by  sending  me  on  to  Mowr  with  all  the  Turkomaun 
chiefs  who  were  at  Meshed  at  the  time. 


OF  DR.   WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  149 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Arrival  at  Meshed.  Visited  on  arrival  by  the  Heads  of  the  Mosque.  Distance  trav- 
ersed by  Dr.  Wolff.  Dr.  Wolff  reported  to  be  a  Mullah  two  hundred  years  old. 
The  improbability  of  Saleh  Muhammed's  Statement  clearer  shown  by  further  ex- 
amination of  him.  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf,  a  Villain.  Haje  Ibrahim,  brother  of 
Abdul  Samut  Khan.  Aga  Abool  Kasem.  Letters  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  for 
the  Jews  of  Bokhara  detained  by  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf,  and  not  forwarded  to 
Bokhara.  High  Priests  of- the  Mosque.  Arrival  of  the  Viceroy,  the  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla,  at  Meshed.  The  Viceroy  commends  Dr.  Wolff  to  the  care  of  the  Turko- 
mauns.  New  Rooz,  New  Year's  Day  of  the  Persians,  March  20th.  Advice 
given  by  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  to  Dr.  Wolff.  The  Viceroy  sends  Presents  by  Dil 
Assa  Khan  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara.  Turkomauns.  Delays  used  by  the  Turk- 
omaun  Chief,  Dil  Assa  Khan.  Letters  sent  to  the  King  of  Khiva.  Interrogation 
of  Saleh  Muhammed  by  Dr.  Wolff.  Dr.  Wolff  quits  Meshed.  Extortion  of  Dil 
Assa  Khan.  Arrival  at  Jehaar  Gunbaz.  Threat  of  Assaff-ood-Dowla  to  Dil 
Assa  Khan.  Route  through  Rabat,  Mahel,  Masteroon,  Karagosh,  Gonbazli. 
Arrival  at  Mowr.  Hospitably  received  by  Abd  Arrahman,  the  Khaleefa  of  the 
Turkomauns.  High  Character  of  the  English  in  Mowr.  Description  of  Abd- 
Arrahman.  Anecdote  of  the  Protection  of  the  Khivites  by  the  Khaleefa.  Danc- 
ing Derveeshek  The  Khaleefa  offers  Dr.  Wolff  the  means  of  escape  and  dis- 
suades him  from  going  to  Bokhara.  Conversation  with  the  Derveesh  of  Kashgar. 
Letter  to  Captain  Grover.  Sensation  created  at  Bokhara  by  Lord  Ellenborough's 
Letter  to  the  Ameer.  Letter  to  Lady  Georgiana.  Schools  in  the  Desert.  Ghen- 
gis  Khan.  March  of  the  Russians  to  India. 

ON  my  arrival  at  Meshed  I  was  received  in  the  most  polite  manner 
by  Mirza  Askeree,  Mirza  Moosa  Khan,  both  heads  of  the  religion,  and 
chiefs  of  the  great  mosque  at  Meshed ;  which  is  not  a  little  thing. 
The  AssafF-ood-Dowla  was  expected  on  the  15th  of  March  to  a  cer- 
tainty. 

But  the  above-mentioned  Mullah  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf,  in  whose 
hands  above  two  thousand  tomauns  worth  of  property  of  Stoddart  was 
found,  actually  frightened  one  of  my  servants,  Rajab,  from  accompa- 
nying me  to  Bokhara,  for  he  would  follow  me  only  as  far  as  Mowr. 
I  took  another  servant  of  Stoddart,  Abdullah  by  name,  who  turned  out 
to  be  a  most  consummate  rascal.  I  was  now  overrun  with  people  who 
came  from  Heraut,  Cabul,  and  other  places  from  Alfghanistaun,  Aff- 
ghauns, — with  testimonials  from  Rawlinson,  Conolly,  Todd,  and  Doctor 
Riach,  of  the  services  they  had  rendered  to  the  British  army.  I  copy 
one  of  these  testimonials  : 

This  is  to  certify  that  Meer  Allie  Khan  Khort  was  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Kuzzel- 


150  NARRATIVE   OF    THE   MISSION 

bash,  who  accompanied  me  for  the  recovery  of  the  prisoners,  and  that  he  behaved 
most  handsomely  and  afforded  me  all  the  assistance  in  his  power. 

September  20*A,  1842.  (Signed)  RICHMOND  SHAKESPEARE. 

I  gave  to  this  fellow  one  tomaun,  for  he  seemed  to  me  to  be  in  great 
distress.  But  there  came  two  others,  who  produced  some  paper  from 
Major  Todd,  by  whom  they  were  sent  to  Bokhara  to  release  Stoddart, 
who  were  most  consummate  rascals.  The  name  of  the  one  is  Seyf 
Kulle  Khan,  and  the  other  Tamas  Kulle  Khan ;  they  bitterly  com- 
plained that  they  had  been  sent  to  Bokhara,  and  received  no  remuner- 
ation for  it,  whilst  I  knew  from  Aga  Abool  Kasem,  formerly  British 
agent  at  Meshed,  and  from  my  friend  Mullah  Mehdee,  that  they  had 
received  about  one  thousand  five  hundred  tomauns,  or  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  sterling,  as  a  reward.  On  mentioning  Aga  Abool 
Kasem,  formerly  British  agent  here,  the  question  may  be  asked,  Why 
was  he  not  employed  by  Colonel  Sheil  in  forwarding  the  letters  to 
Bokhara  ?  There  are  two  very  weighty  reasons  for  it,  if  not  more. 
1st.  Aga  or  Mullah  Muhammed  AH  Serraf  was  Stoddart's  agent,  and 
recommended  as  such.  2nd.  Aga  Abool  Kasem  candidly  told  me, 
that  he  had  declined  to  undertake  the  task,  as  he  had  a  brother  residing 
at  Bokhara,  who  had  not  the  courage  to  assist  him.  And  the  above- 
mentioned  rascals  themselves  told  me,  that  when  they  came  to  Bokhara 
they  only  had  a  sight  of  Colonel  Stoddart,  but  were  afraid  to  speak  to 
him ;  and  all  they  did,  was  to  deliver  a  note  to  him  in  a  stealthy  man- 
ner, and  to  receive  one  from  him  in  the  same  way.  I  wrote  to  Colonel 
Sheil,  and  requested  him  to  send  on  immediately  Mr.  Thomson  to 
Meshed,  to  look  also  into  the  affairs  of  Mullah  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf, 
Stoddart's  agent,  in  order  that  everything  might  be  delivered  into  his 
(Thomson's)  hands. 

All  the  Jews  from  Torbad,  who  saw  me  in  slavery  there  in  1831, 
and  the  Jews  who  knew  me  at  Sarakhs,  were  here ;  one  of  them 
offered  himself  to  me  as  a  servant.  I  found  that  I  should  not  be  ena- 
bled to  set  out  from  Meshed  before  the  25th  of  March,  for  Bokhara. 

My  journey  up  to  this  point  was  as  follows : 

Miles. 

1.  From  Southampton  to  Constantinople    -        -        -        -        -      3300 

2.  „  Constantinople  to  Trebizond    -        -        -        -        -        -  480 

3.  „  Trebizond  to  Erzroom         -        -        ».:-   ..^        -        -  180 

4.  „  Erzroom  to  Teheraun 588 

5.  „  Teheraun  to  Meshed  -------  556 

5104 
There  remained  only  to  Bokhara          ......    550 

5650 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  151 

Among  the  other  wild  Eastern  rumours  at  Sharoot,  a  report  was 
spread  that  a  mullah  from  England  had  arrived,  two  hundred  years 
of  age — Joseph  Wolff,  by  name. 

I  forwarded  hence  three  letters  to  the  King  of  Khiva ;  the  first  from 
the  Sultan  of  Constantinople,  the  second  from  Colonel  Sheil,  and  the 
third  from  the  Ambassador  of  Khiva  to  the  Court  of  Persia,  whom  I 
had  met  at  Teheraun,  with  a  letter  to  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Khiva, 
written  by  myself.  My  own  letter  was  in  the  following  terms. 

Joseph  Wolff,  the  derveesh  of  the  Christians  in  England,  sends  his  blessing  to 
His  Majesty  the  King  of  Organtsh,  and  wishes  him  the  wisdom  of  Solomon  the 
Wise,  (upon  whom  is  the  comfort  of  God  and  peace,)  and  the  power  and  riches  of 
Timur  Kurikanee,  the  conqueror  and  possessor  of  the  earth.  Know  ye,  O  King, 
that  I  am  the  well-known  derveesh  of  England,  and  have  traversed,  for  the  sake  of 
Jesus,  Egypt,  Mount  Sinai,  Yemen,  Jerusalem,  Damascus,  Bokhara,  Balkh,  and 
Hind,  and  the  New  World,  which  lies  on  the  other  side  of  the  Ocean.  All  these 
countries  I  traversed  for  the  sake  of  God  and  Jesus,  and  for  the  good  of  my  fellow  crea- 
tures, telling  princes  and  little  ones  that  they  should  repent  and  turn  to  God,  for  we 
are  of  God,  and  to  God  we  must  return.  I  also  spoke  with  the  Muhammedan  Mul- 
lahs, and  with  Jews  and  Guebers,  that  we  have  to  expect  first  of  all  the  coming  of 
the  Dejaal  (Antichrist),  who  shall  bring  great  mischief  into  the  world,  and  force 
many  to  worship  him  as  God ;  but  after  him,  Jesus  shall  come,  and  kill  Dejaal  with 
the  breath  of  his  mouth,  and  set  up  a  kingdom,  that  all  nations  shall  serve  Him ;  and 
in  his  time  the  lion  and  the  lamb  shall  lie  down  together,  and  the  earth  shall  be  full 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea ;  and  universal  peace  shall 
prevail  upon  earth. 

But  now  I  go  to  Bokhara  for  another  object.  I  have  been  informed,  and  all 
England  has  been  informed,  that  two  English  officers  of  high  rank,  Colonel  Stod- 
dart  and  Captain  Conolly,  have  been  put  to  death  at  Bokhara ;  and  as  the  life  of 
an  Englishman  is  dear  to  his  people,  the  account  has  spread  indignation  throughout 
England,  Russia,  Germany,  and  America.  I  therefore  said  that  I  would  go  to  Bok- 
hara, in  order  to  ascertain  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  that  report ;  and  if  they  should 
be  still  alive,  that  I  would  demand  their  persons  from  the  King  of  Bokhara.  I  beg, 
therefore,  Your  Majesty  to  bestow  on  me  the  following  favours :  1st.  To  write  to 
the  King  of  Bokhara  to  grant  my  request ;  2nd.  That  Your  Majesty  will  make 
known  my  mission,  not  only  among  Khivites,  but  also  send  letters  to  all  the  Turko- 
mauns  and  Hazarahs,  and  to  the  Khans  of  Ankhoy,  Maymona,  and  to  the  Ameer 
of  Cabul,  and  to  the  King  of  Khokand  and  Shahr  Sabz. 

Giving  you  my  benediction  as  the  great  derveesh,  well  known  throughout  Frank- 
ietauu  and  hi  the  land  of  Russia. 

(Sealed)        JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

To  the  Hazarah  at  Daragass,  Arand,  Ankhoy,  and  Khoollom : 

Joseph  Wolff,  the  derveesh  of  England,  believer  in  Jesus,  sends  his  salutation 
and  his  blessing  to  the  powerful  tribe  of  the  Hazarah,  celebrated  among  the  heroes 
of  Turkistaun,  and  whose  ancestors  have  been  valiant  companions  in  battle  to  the 
great  Ghengis  Khan,  the  Tshagatay.  Know  ye  that  I  am  going  to  Bokhara  to 
demand  from  the  Ameer  Nasir  Behadur  Ullah,  in  the  name  of  God  and  Jesus  the 


152  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

Word  of  God,  the  release  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly ;  and  after  this 
I  wish  to  pay  you  a  visit,  and  speak  with  you  about  the  great  trumpet  which  shall 
be  sounded,  and  the  descent  of  Jesus  from  heaven,  amidst  the  shouts  of  angels ! 
For  I  have  learnt  that  you  have  a  respect  for  Englishmen,  and  especially  such  as 
Pottinger  and  Darcy  Todd.  And  therefore  I  am  confident  that  you  will  receive  me 
kindly.  I  therefore  beseech  you  to  announce  my  going  to  Bokhara  among  the 
Ghirgese  and  Cossacks  of  the  Desert.  For  it  is  of  high  importance  that  all  the 
inhabitants  of  Turkistaun  should  know  that  Englishmen  do  not  look  with  indiffer- 
ence on  their  brethren  in  captivity,  and  that  there  is  a  derveesh  whose  life  is  devoted 
to  the  service  of  God. 

(Sealed)        J.  WOLFF. 

I  got  both  these  corrected  and  fine  copied  at  Meshed,  by  Mirza  Mu- 
hammed  Noori,  and  forwarded  by  a  relation  of  Shah  Soujah  El-Mulck, 
late  King  ofCabul. 

During  the  whole  period  of  my  stay  at  Meshed,  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla 
(viceroy)  of  Khorassaun,  ordered  his  lieutenant  to  treat  me  with  all 
the  respect  of  an  ambassador,  and  three  rooms  were  placed  at  my  dis- 
posal, and  every  day  victuals  were  sent  to  me  by  the  Calandar. 

On  a  further  conversation  with  the  Akhund-Zadeh  Saleh  Muham- 
med,  my  hopes  were  further  raised,  of  the  probable  existence  of  Stod- 
dart and  Conolly.  One  solitary  person  at  Bokhara  was  also,  he  ad- 
mitted, the  sole  source  ofhis  information.  I  did  not  believe  his  story : 
1st.  Because  Tamas  Beyk,  the  chief  of  the  Japaree  of  several  prov- 
inces in  Khorassaun,  a  kind  hearted  and  excellent  man,  who  lives 
at  Nishapoor,  told  me  that  Kurban,  the  chief  of  caravans,  who  resides 
at  Maymona,  twelve  days'  journey  from  Bokhara,  and  who  is  there 
every  three  months,  assured  him  that  both  Stoddart  and  Conolly  were 
alive,  and  imprisoned  in  the  Kalai,  outside  of  Bokhara.  Kakulli,  also 
a  Turkomaun  chief,  who  also  was  at  Nishapoor,  showed  to  me  a  letter 
from  his  brother  at  Bokhara,  in  which  he  stated  that  Stoddart  was 
alive  to  a  certainty.  Further,  His  Excellency  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla 
(viceroy)  of  Khorassaun,  to  whom  I  sent  the  king's  courier  to  inquire* 
where  I  should  meet  him,  whether  at  Maadan  or  Meshed,  sent  me 
word  that  Stoddart  and  Conolly  were  alive  last  year.  3rd.  The  peo- 
ple of  Meshed  themselves  told  me,  that  the  report  of  their  death  had 
been  current  at  Meshed  three  years  ago,  when  it  was  certain  they 
were  alive.  4th.  It  was  reported  for  five  years  at  Bokhara,  that  the 
Goosh  Bekee  had  been  put  to  death,  when  he  suddenly  made  his  ap- 
pearance again,  and  only  died  a  short  time  since  a  natural  death. 
5th.  All  people  at  Meshed  say,  "  Kesee  nadeed" — "  No  one  has  seen 
the  execution." 

The  further  I  investigated  the  character  of  Aga  Muhammed  Ali 
Serraf,  the  greater  rogue  he  appeared.  Poor  Stoddart  ordered  all  his 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  153 

letters  to  be  addressed  by  Colonel  Sheil  to  him.  The  Sultan's  letter 
was  sent  to  him,  for  Colonel  Sheil  had  nobody  else  at  Meshed  on  whom 
he  could  rely. 

My  proofs  are  these  :  on  my  first  meeting  him  I  asked  him  whether 
he  had  sent  on  the  letter  of  the  Sultan,  which  he  had  received  a  year 
ago,  and  which  he  had  sent  back  to  Colonel  Sheil  on  the  first  report 
of  their  death,  and  which  Colonel  Sheil  returned  with  the  express  or- 
der  of  forwarding  it  to  Bokhara  at  any  rate  ?  I  have  shown  how  he 
equivocated  on  that  point :  and  on  my  entrance  into  Meshed,  he  hesi- 
tated as  to  giving  me  the  letter,  until  I  sent  him  a  threatening  mes- 
sage, when  he  produced  it,  but  brought  with  him  one  of  his  friends 
who  was  at  Bokhara,  viz.  Haje  Ibrahim,  brother  to  Abdul  Samut 
Khan,  of  whom  Colonel  Sheil  told  me  afterwards,  that  cunning  and 
knavery  were  depicted  in  his  very  look ;  and  he  sate  down  in  my 
room,  and  said,  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Have  you  a  letter  from  the  Queen 
of  England  for  the  King  of  Bokhara  ?"  I  replied,  "  No  ;  but  I  have 
letters  from  the  Sultan  of  Constantinople,  from  the  King  of  Persia,  and 
from  the  Russian  ambassador."  Haje  Ibrahim  replied,  "  All  these 
letters  are  pootsh,"  which  means,  good  for  nothing.  "  I  will  tell  you 
what  they  will  do  with  you  as  soon  as  you  arrive  at  Jehaar-Joo. 
They  will  put  you  in  a  little  room,  take  from  you  all  the  money  you 
have,  keep  you  there  until  an  answer  comes  from  the  Ameer,  to  whom 
they  will  report  your  arrival.  After  his  answer,  they  will  bind  your 
eyes,  that  you  shall  not  be  able  to  see  anything  about  you  in  the  coun- 
try, put  you  in  the  black  well,  and  then  kill  you."  I  asked,  "  How 
do  you  know  that  ?"  He  said,  "  Stoddart  came  to  Bokhara  with  a 
letter  from  the  Vizier  Muchtar,  the  British  envoy  at  Teheraun ;  he 
was  put  in  prison.  After  this,  Conolly  came  with  letters  from  the 
ambassador  at  Cabul,  or,  as  he  called  him,  the  Laard  Nawaub  Saheb. 
He  was  put  in  prison.  Then  a  letter  came  from  the  Sultan.  The 
Ameer  cast  it  away  with  disdain,  and  said,  '  The  Sultan  is  half  a 
Kafir  (infidel).  I  want  a  letter  from  the  Queen  of  England.'  Some 
time  after  a  letter  arrived  from  the  Sirkar  of  Hind  (the  Governor- 
General).  This  letter,"  said  he,  with  a  sneer,  "  stated  « that  Stoddart 
and  Conolly  were  innocent  travellers.'  Upon  which  the  Ameer  was 
so  angry  that  he  put  both  to  death,  and  I  have  this  account  from  my 
brother,  Abdul  Samut  Khan." 

I  beg  the  reader  to  remark  this  point  with  respect  to  this  important 
letter,  which  on  my  return  to  Teheraun,  when  Haje  Ibrahim  came 
thither  for  the  money  which  he  claimed  for  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  he 
boasted,  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Glen,  one  of  the  attaches  of  the  Brit- 
ish embassy,  to  have  mentioned  to  me,  and  then  repeated  all  the  above 

20 


154  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

conversation  at  Meshed,  verbatim,  especially  relative  to  Lord  Ellen- 
borough's  letter. 

I  immediately  took  the  letter  of  the  Sultan,  which  was  in  the  pos- 
session of  Muhammed  AH  Serraf,  and  put  it  into  the  case  with  the 
other  letters  of  the  Sultan  and  the  King  of  Persia  which  I  had  brought 
with  me,  and  told  the  fellows  :  "  Your  endeavour  to  frighten  me  is  in 
vain ;  I  shall  set  out  from  here,  and  need  not  the  assistance  of  any 
one  of  you !" 

Aga  Abool  Kasem,  formerly  the  British  agent  at  Meshed,  a  respec- 
table merchant  from  Heraut,  called  on  me,  for  I  had  a  letter  for  him 
from  Colonel  Sheil.  I  asked  him  why  he  did  not  take  the  letter  from 
Muhammed  AH  Serraf,  and  send  it  on  to  Bokhara  ?  He,  more  up- 
right than  that  fellow,  told  me :  "I  have  a  brother  at  Bokhara,  who  is 
a  coward,  and  who  would  not  have  executed  my  wish ;  and  I  should 
not  have  liked  to  compromise  him  myself,  for  I  never  received  a  salary 
from  the  British  government,  and  I  .am  a  merchant." 

On  the  13th  March,  I  by  chance  learnt  from  Mullah  Mehdee,  the 
Jew,  that  several  letters  had  been  sent  from  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  to 
the  care  of  Mullah  Muhammed  AH  Serraf,  Stoddart's  agent.  I  im- 
mediately recollected  that  they  must  be  the  same  letters  which  I  had 
advised  Mrs.  Macnaghten  and  Miss  Stoddart  to  procure  from  Sir  Moses 
Montefiore,  and  forward  them  through  Mullah  Mehdee,  of  Meshed,  to 
the  Jews  of  Bokhara,  Samarcand,  Balkh,  and  Khokand ;  but  Colonel 
Sheil,  of  course,  according  to  Stoddart's  direction,  forwarded  them 
through  his  agent,  Mullah  Muhammed  AH  Serraf.  He  called  yester- 
day evening,  and  I  said  :  "  What  have  you  done  with  the  letters  for 
the  Jews  of  Bokhara,  &c.  ?" 

M.  M.  A.  S.  I  broke  the  seal,  took  off  the  envelope,  and  had  the 
direction  of  it  written  by  Ismael  the  Jew  in  Hebrew  only ;  for  as  the 
English  writing  upon  it  might  make  the  Jews  suspected,  I  thought  that 
it  was  not  safe. 

Now  there  was  some  reason  in  this ;  but  in  the  first  instance,  in  the 
East,  a  letter  without  a  seal  goes  for  nothing ;  secondly,  on  my  de- 
siring him  to  produce  the  envelopes,  which  he  said  he  had  preserved, 
I  found  that  he  only  had  forwarded  the  letters  to  Samarcand,  Balkh, 
and  Khokand,  but  broken  the  seal  and  kept  back  the  most  important 
of  all,  the  letter  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  to  the  Jews  of  Bokhara.  As  I 
was  sure  that  Sir  Moses  Montefiore,  who  does  not  like  me,  would  be  sorry 
if  I  was  the  deliverer  of  the  letter,  and  seeing  then  no  necessity  for  it,  I 
returned  the  letter  to  him  in  England.  And  even  the  other  letters,  I 
found  to  a  certainty,  had  only  been  forwarded  thirty  days  ago. 

Aga  Abool  Kasem,  the  above-mentioned  respectable  merchant,  and 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  155 

formerly  British  agent,  gave  me  this  day  the  following  exact  informa- 
tion as  to  the  property  of  Colonel  Stoddart,  in  the  hands  of  his  agent : 
(viz.,)  that  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  was  in  possession  of  shawls  con- 
signed  to  him  by  Colonel  Stoddart,  which  he  had  given  as  a  pawn  to 
merchants,  to  obtain  money  from  them  for  buying  land,  for  they  are 
to  the  amount  of  two  thousand  tomauns — one  thousand  pounds  sterling. 
I  asked  him  about  that.  He  replied,  that  he  had  still  the  shawls  in 
his  possession,  and  he  intended  to  deliver  the  shawls  to  Colonel  Stod- 
dart's  sister  in  person ;  and  then  sat  down  to  write  a  letter  to  his 
(Colonel  Stoddart's)  sister.  The  fellow  is  a  rogue ;  and  it  was  not 
Colonel  Sheil's  fault,  but  Stoddart's,  in  choosing  such  an  agent.  He 
told  me  that  Stoddart  said,  (which  has  a  lie  on  the  face  of  it,)  that  he 
was  to  deliver  the  shawls  to  his  sister,  who  would  richly  reward  him. 

I  called  on  the  12th  on  the  great  high  priests  at  Meshed — Mirza 
Said  Askeree,  the  Imam  Jemaat  of  Meshed,  and  Haje  Mirza  Moosa 
Khan,  Metwalle  of  the  Mosque,  both  of  whom  have  been  very  kind 
to  me,  and  given  me  every  assistance.  They  wish  to  obtain  a  litho- 
graphic press,  each  one  of  them,  and  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  wishes  for 
a  beautiful  spy-glass.  I  wrote  to  England  to  get  these  things  for- 
warded to  them,  not  by  Stoddart's  agent,  but  by  Mullah  Mehdee,  my 
friend. 

March  15th.  The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  (viceroy)  of  Khorassaun  ar- 
rived here,  and  immediately  sent  his  chamberlain  to  welcome  me. 
Three  hundred  Turkomaun  chiefs  from  the  desert  of  Mowr  were  here, 
beseeching  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla  to  bring  their  tribe  near  Meshed  ;  by 
them  I  was  to  be  escorted  to  Mowr.  The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  will  send 
one  of  his  men  with  me  on  to  Bokhara.  Report  said  that  a  Russian 
ambassador  reached  that  -  city  a  month  previous  to  the  time  I  was  at 
Meshed. 

March  20th.  The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  assembled  the  Turkomauns  in 
his  tent,  read  my  letters  from  the  various  Sovereigns,  and  then  said  to 
them,  "  Here  I  recommend  to  you  an  English  mullah,  recommended 
to  the  King  of  Bokhara  by  four  Powers."  They  stroked  their  beards, 
and  swore  to  bring  me  safely  to  Bokhara. 

This  is  the  New  Rooz  (new-year's  day)  of  the  Persians.  His  Ex- 
cellency the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  sent  me  sweetmeats,  and  gold  and  sil- 
ver pence, — which  are  considered  blessed  pence, — to  the  value  of  five 
tomauns  sterling,  according  to  Persian  custom.  I  saw  at  his  levee  the 
Persian  soldiers  drilled  before  him.  One  Turkomaun  chief  is  ap- 
pointed to  bring  me  safely  to  Bokhara  ;  and  of  the  three  hundred 
Turkomaun  chiefs,  thirty  go  to  the  King  of  Persia,  and  the  rest  ride 
on  before  to  announce  me  to  the  Turkomauns  of  Sarakhs  and  Merwe. 


156  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

My  letters  from  the  Sultan  and  Sheikh  Islam  of  Constantinople,  for 
the  King  and  Mullahs  of  Khiva  and  Khokand,  were  sent  on  by  an  ex- 
press Turkomaun,  for  which  I  paid  fifty  tomauns.  I  gave  one  hun- 
dred tomauns  to  the  men  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  The  change  of 
circumstances  in  Khorassaun  surprises  me,  since  the  last  twelve 
years,  among  the  low  as  well  as  among  the  high.  I  am  here  received 
by  all  the  mullahs  with  the  same  distinction  as  they  treat  each  other. 
The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  is  one  of  the  shrewdest  persons  I  ever  met  with. 
tie  said  to  me,  "  Now  I  will  tell  you  a  few  words  which  you  must 
learn  by  heart,  and  address  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  and  the  words  are 
these: 


i.  e.  "  I  am  sent  from  England,  and  from  the  Turkish  government, 
and  from  the  Russian  government,  and  the  Persian  government,  by 
reason  of  that  friendship  which  subsists  between  these  governments 
and  England."  I  asked  him  whether  he  would  wish  to  have  an  Eng- 
lish physician  here;  he  significantly,  but  with  politeness,  replied, 
"  There  is  no  necessity  for  that, — all  we  want  is,  the  friendship  of 
England."  He  sent  presents  by  Dil  Assa  Khan, — the  Turkomaun 
chief  who  is  to  take  me  to  Bokhara, — for  the  King,  amounting  to  five 
hundred  tomauns  in  value.  Really  our  government  ought  to  recog- 
nise his  great  kindness,  even  to  so  mean  a  member  of  its  body  corpo- 
rate as  myself.  My  letters  from  England  were  conveyed  to  me  by 
the  hands  of  his  own  chamberlain.  My  rooms  were  here  a  most  ex- 
traordinary sight.  On  one  occasion,  while  I  was  writing  a  letter  to 
England,  four  Turkomaun  chiefs  were  seated  on  the  ground,  eating 
bread,  sour  milk,  and  pocketing  the  sweetmeats  given  to  them  ;  Mul- 
lah Mehdee  sate  in  another  compartment  of  the  room  (I  have  privately 
baptized  him) ;  Dil  Assa  Khan,  opposite  to  him,  writing  down  what  I 
wanted  for  the  road,  such  things  as  sugar,  four  horses,  a  tent,  dates, 
&c. ;  Aga  Abool  Kasem,  a  Persian  merchant,  sitting  on  the  ground. 
Sadik  Beg,  the  King  of  Persia's  Mehmoondar,  looks  anxiously  about 
my  safety.  My  own  servants  consulting  what  I  ought  still  to  have 
with  me. 

On  the  25th  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  sent  for  me,  (by  the  way,  I 
ought  not  to  have  omitted  to  state  that  this  kind  and  excellent  person 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  157 

is  the  uncle  of  Muhammed  Shah,)  and  desired  me  to  mention  in  my 
letters  to  England  the  following  facts. 

After  the  TQrkomauns  of  Merwe  had  rebelled  against  the  King  of 
Khiva,  and  killed  the  governor  set  over  them  by  that  sovereign,  they 
first  of  all  sought  protection  from  the  King  of  Bokhara,  but  he  (the 
Assaff-ood-Dowla)  having  been  informed  of  the  ill-treatment  of  Stod- 
dart  and  Conolly,  induced  all  the  Ttirkomauns  to  rebel  against  the 
King  of  Bokhara,  and  that  now  three  hundred  Turkomaun  chiefs, 
whom  I  myself  had  seen  at  the  palace,  were  come  to  Meshed  to  ask 
permission  to  settle  near  it.  The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  has  consequently 
secured  under  his  command  the  most  powerful  tribes,  Sarakhs,  Mahal, 
Merwe,  and  Tajan.  From  these  Turkomauns  he  sends  to  Teheraun, 
not,  as  I  first  understood,  thirty,  but  seventy,  as  hostages  to  the 
King,  in  order  to  insure  me  a  good  reception  in  the  desert  of  Mowr, 
and  also  to  obtain  their  powerful  interference  in  case  the  King  of 
Bokhara  should  resort  to  violent  measures  against  me.  Besides  this, 
he  assured  me  that,  should  the  Shah  have  any  scruples  as  to  the  de- 
tention of  the  Eljee  of  Bokhara,  he  would  detain  him  at  Meshed  until 
I  reached  it  safe  and  sound.  When  Colonel  Sheil  wrote  to  him  fifty 
days  ago,  to  send  on  a  man  to  Bokhara,  he  immediately  sent  one  with 
presents  to  the  amount  of  five  hundred  tomauns,  and  he  said  that  he 
should  send  further  presents  to  the  same  amount  by  Dil  Assa  Khan. 

He  also  said  that  he  was  ready  to  march  on  Bokhara  with  the 
Shah's  permission,  and  upon  the  first  hint  from  England,  and  that  our 
own  country  would  be  the  noble  liberatrix  of  thousands  of  slaves. 

Were  even  the  bones  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  produced  to  me,  I  de- 
termined now  to  proceed  to  Bokhara,  and  to  investigate  how  they  died. 
A  strong  prestige  was  also  rising  in  my  favour.  Yar  Muhamrned 
Khan,  at  Heraut,  had  been  advised  by  his  friends  at  Meshed  to  write 
to  the  King  of  Bokhara  to  release  the  prisoners  and  treat  me  well. 
The  Hazarah,  also,  in  the  deserts  of  Maymona,  proclaimed  my  mis- 
sion to  Bokhara,  as  far  as  Khoollom.  The  various  delays  at  this 
place  became  so  vexatious  that  I  wrote  to  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla  on  the 
24th  March,  complaining  of  Dil  Assa  Khan,  the  chief  of  several 
tribes  of  Merwee,  who  wanted  to  stay  till  the  27th  of  this  month,  when 
it  was  my  wish  to  set  out  on  the  26th  (the  Tuesday,)  and  not  on  the 
Wednesday.  His  Highness  ordered  Dil  Assa  Khan,  accordingly,  to 
leave  on  the  26th  of  this  month.  Dil  Assa  Khan  received  from  me 
one  hundred  tomauns,  and  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla  gave  to  him  out  of 
his  own  pocket  three  hundred  tomauns,  and  sent  presents,  as  I  have 
mentioned,  for  the  King  of  Bokhara,  to  the  amount  of  five  hundred 
tomauns.  Colonel  Sheil  also  had  given  to  me  some  cloth  (three 


158  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

pieces),  and  a  silver  watch  for  the  Ameer,  in  order  not  to  appear 
empty  handed.  The  letters  of  the  Sultan  of  Constantinople  for  the 
King  of  Khiva,  and  the  letters  of  the  Sheikh  Islam  of  Constantinople 
for  the  mullahs  of  Khiva  and  Khokand,  had  also  been  sent  to  the  King 
of  Khiva  by  Youssuff  Mirza,  the  Shah  Zadeh,  an  Affghan  prince, 
who  early  this  morning  called  on  me ;  and  who  sent  on  a  man  to 
Khiva  with  a  Turkomaun,  to  whom  I  paid  fifty  tomauns,  and  shall 
have  to  pay  him  thirty  tomauns  after  he  brings  an  answer  from  the 
King  of  Khiva,  which  will  be  delivered  to  Colonel  Sheil  at  Teheraun, 
for  I  shall  not  be  back  from  Bokhara  until  the  answer  returns  from 
Khiva.  I  also  wrote  to  the  King  of  Khiva,  desiring  him  to  order  the 
Turkomauns  under  his  jurisdiction  not  to  molest  me  on  the  road,  and 
to  make  known  to  all  the  Turkomauns  the  reason  of  my  expedition  to 
Bokhara.  This  will  have,  as  the  King  of  Khiva  is  at  enmity  with 
Bokhara,  the  twofold  effect, — first  of  all,  he  will  take  good  care  to 
make  it  known  among  all  the  Turkomauns,  and  at  Shahr  Sabz,  Kho- 
kand, Samarcand,  Khoollom,  and  even  at  Bokhara,  that  the  conduct 
of  the  King  of  Bokhara  is  disapproved  by  the  Sultan,  and  resented  by 
the  other  Powers  of  Europe ;  and  it  will  at  the  same  time  deter  the 
Usbeck  Tatars  from  giving  any  further  assistance  to  the  King  of 
Bokhara.  Mullah  Mehdee,  a  friend  of  Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  at 
Heraut,  wrote,  in  his  name  (not  in  my  name),  to  Yar  Muhammed  Khan 
that  now  was  the  time  to  succeed  in  obtaining  the  support  of  England 
by  writing  to  the  King  of  Bokhara  that  he  should  set  free  the  English 
prisoners,  and  receive  me  with  distinction  on  my  arrival  at  Bokhara. 
Youssuff  Mirza,  the  Shah  Zadeh,  wrote  also  the  same  to  him,  and  to 
the  Hazarah  tribes  of  Maymona  and  Ankhoy  ;  to  the  latter  he  wrote 
for  the  purpose  of  making  it  known  among  all  the  mullahs,  der- 
veeshes,  and  awliyaans,  in  order  that  they  may  call  on  the  Ameer  of 
Bokhara  to  suffer  the  strangers  to  go  back  to  their  own  land. 

I  also  addressed  a  most  respectful  letter  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara, 
with  the  intention  of  delivering  it  myself,  in  which  I  reminded  His 
Majesty  of  the  hospitable  reception  he  granted  to  me  when  at  Bokhara 
twelve  years  ago,  and  my  having  boldly  defended  him  in  England 
and  throughout  Europe,  when  I  heard  him  accused  of  having  been 
the  murderer  of  guests  ;  and  petitioned  His  Majesty  most  humbly  to 
allow  me  to  bring  back  my  friends  to  their  native  country,  or,  should 
they  have  died  on  account  of  some  fault  committed,  to  inform  me  of  the 
nature  of  their  crime,  and  to  permit  me  to  carry  with  me  to  England 
their  corpses,  to  be  buried  there  by  their  relations.  I  put  this  letter 
into  the  hands  of  the  Imam  Jemaat,  of  Meshed,  who  read  it  in  the 
mosque  of  Gowher  Shah,  where  five  thousand  people  were  assembled. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  159 

A  caravan  arrived  here  some  days  ago  from  Bokhara,  and  the  an- 
swer  to  my  inquiries  was,  They  may  be  alive,  for  nobody  has  seen 
them  executed,  whilst  the  others  were  publicly  executed ;  and  the 
Goosh-Bekee,  or  vizier,  who  for  five  years  was  supposed  to  have  been 
put  to  death,  suddenly  came  forth  alive  and  well  from  prison  :  and  the 
chief  of  the  caravan  of  Bokhara,  Mullah  Kereem  by  name,  who  is 
there  every  two  months,  and  has  a  wife  there,  told  me  two  days  ago, 
that  if  any  one  asserted  that  he  had  seen  the  execution  of  the  two  El- 
jees,  he  was  a  liar !  And,  as  I  have  said,  even  the  Akhund-Zadeh, 
Saleh  Muhammed  told  me  that  the  two  persons  who  were  put  to  death, 
and  of  whom  he  gave  a  circumstantial  account  to  Colonel  Sheil,  might 
have  been  two  other  persons,  and  the  executioner  who  told  him  the 
story  might  have  belied  him ;  and  besides  this,  I  must  confess  that 
two  things  are  suspicious  to  me  in  the  extreme  in  the  Akhund-Zadeh's 
account.  First  of  all,  at  one  time  he  told  me  that  the  executioner 
from  whom  he  had  the  story  had  been  the  executioner  of  Stoddart ;  on 
another  day,  when  I  asked  him  again  which  of  the  two  executioners 
had  put  Stoddart  to  death,  he  replied  that  he  did  not  know.  Besides 
that,  I  used  the  method  of  questioning  him,  which  Mr.  Pitt  applied  to 
people  whose  veracity  he  suspected  on  a  certain  subject.  He  ques- 
tioned those  people  on  other  points  :  so  did  I  with  the  Akhund-Zadeh ; 
I  asked  him  one  day  about  the  intended  expedition  of  the  Russians  to 
Khiva.  The  answer  of  the  Akhund-Zadeh  was,  that  he  knew  posi- 
tively (^(.yJt.0  )  that  not  one  single  Russian  came  back  to  Orenbourgh  ; 
every  one  of  them,  with  all  the  camels  besides,  were  killed.  Besides 
that,  he  made  a  claim  on  Colonel  Sheil  for  one  hundred  and  twenty 
tomauns,  which  I  learnt  from  different  quarters  he  had  received  from 
Major  Todd ;  and  I  learnt,  moreover,  that  he  was  of  the  party  who 
frightened  my  servant  (Rajab)  from  accompanying  me  to  Bokhara. 
The  other  servant  of  Stoddart,  when  at  Heraut — who  is  also  in  my 
service — told  me  quite  gravely,  that  he  received  once  two  thousand 
stripes  by  order  of  the  King  of  Persia,  for  having  served  the  British 
officers  who  were  at  Heraut  during  the  siege  of  Heraut.  You  will 
perceive  by  this,  how  difficult  it  is  to  find  out  the  truth  in  such  a 
country  of  lies !  The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  is  very  anxious  to  march 
against  Bokhara,  and  take  it.  He  is  confident  that  he  could  take 
Bokhara  in  less  than  half  an  hour. 

The  Assaff  is  really  a  great  man  ;  he  has  brought,  by  his  prudent 
conduct,  the  greatest  number  of  Turkornauns  under  his  sway.  The 
Japow,  or  Plundering  Expedition  of  the  Turkomauns  into  Khorassaun, 
is  through  him  in  a  great  degree  abolished.  He  has  erected  caravan- 
serays  and  other  buildings.  There  he  keeps  and  maintains  now  the 


160  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

Shah  Zadeh  of  Affghanistaun,  in  order  to  check,  by  continual  fear, 
Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  of  Heraut,  who  killed  Kamran  Shah,  one  year 
ago.  But  I  felt  very  angry  with  him,  for  he  might  have  sent  me 
away  sooner  if  he  had  not  kept  me  on  account  of  the  man  whom  he 
sent  to  Bokhara  thirty  days  ago  ;  five  months  ago  also,  Sheil  sent  an 
extra  Gholam  to  urge  him  to  send  one  on  to  Bokhara,  but  that  delay 
did  not  happen  by  his  fault,  but  by  the  fault  of  Stoddart's  agent. 
Now,  however,  he  expects  back  the  man  who  went  thirty  days  ago, 
but  I  am  determined  to  go  away  next  Tuesday,  i.  e.  to-morrow.  I 
have  already  bought  four  horses,  victuals,  &c.  Hewever,  as  a  pre- 
caution, I  determined  to  write  to  Colonel  Sheil,  that  he  should  send  on 
a  man  to  Meshed,  with  an  order  from  the  Shah  to  send  me  on  imme- 
diately. 

The  trouble  that  Dil  Assa  Khan  occasioned  me  is  almost  inconceiv- 
able. Though  ordered  by  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla  to  accompany  me 
with  the  armed  men  to  Bokhara ;  though  letters  were  given  to  him 
for  the  King  of  Bokhara,  the  chief  Turkomauns  of  Sarakhs,  and  the 
Khaleefa  of  Mowr,  the  spiritual  head  of  the  Turkomauns,  writing  to 
all  that  they  should  take  good  care  of  me,  for  Persia,  England,  Russia, 
and  Turkey  would  otherwise  call  them  to  account ;  all  had  little  in- 
fluence on  this  fellow.  His  dread  of  Behadur  Khan  seemed  as  unmit- 
igated as  his  cupidity.  I  was  obliged  to  pay  him  a  hundred  tomauns 
in  advance  to  begin.  The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  next  charged  him  with 
presents  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  and  gave  him  orders  to  leave  Me- 
shed on  the  26th.  He  made,  however,  constant  excuses,  and  at  last 
sent  me  on  with  one  of  his  men  to  Kanakoosha,  twelve  miles  from 
Meshed.  Mullah  Mehdee,  the  Jew,  also  accompanied  me.  Late  in 
the  evening  a  letter  arrived  there  for  me  from  Dil  Assa  Khan,  telling 
me  that  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  wished  me  to  sit  in  a  kejaweh  during  the 
journey,  or  what  they  call  at  Cairo  a  shelrea,  in  order  not  to  attract 
too  much  the  notice  of  the  Turkomauns,  and  to  take  beside  another 
camel  for  water.  I  saw  at  once  into  this  contrivance  on  his  part  to 
extort  more  money  from  me.  I  therefore  sent  Mullah  Mehdee  with  a 
letter  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  telling  him  that  I  was  ready  to  hire  a 
camel  with  a  kejaweh^  and  also  another  camel,  but  that  I  hoped  His 
Excellency  would  order  Dil  Assa  Khan  to  make  no  further  delay  ;  if 
not,  I  would  go  back,  and  proceed  via  Russia  to  Bokhara.  A  kind 
letter  arrived  from  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  and  I  had  taken  the  two 
camels  in  order  to  avoid  delay,  but  still  Dil  Assa  Khan  came  not  until 
the  30th  to  Nazarieh,  four  miles  from  Kanakoosha,  and  even  then  he 
wanted  to  stay  some  days  more,  until  I  positively  ordered  my  servants 
to  make  ready  for  returning  to  Meshed. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  161 

March  31st.  We  at  last  entered  fairly  the  desert,  and  encamped 
on  the  plain,  covered  with  shrubs,  called  Jehaar  Gunbaz.  Dil  Assa 
Khan  so  annoyed  me  with  incessant  demands  for  money,  that  I  sent 
on  secretly  Mullah  Mehdee,  who  had  accompanied  me  so  far,  with  a 
letter  to  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla,  desiring  him  to  send  me  another  com- 
panion  in  my  route.  Meanwhile  I  steadily  refused  Dil  Assa  Khan's 
demands. 

Monday,  April  1st.  We  arrived  at  Rabat  Mahal,  a  desert  place, 
where  I  pitched  my  tent.  The  water  here  is  very  salt.  On  the  2nd 
of  April  a  horseman  came  in  all  haste  behind  us,  calling  out,  "  Stop, 
stop !"  We  stopped,  and  the  horseman  was  sent  after  us  from  the 
AssafF-ood-Dowla,  with  a  letter  from  him  for  myself  and  Dil  Assa 
Khan.  His  Excellency  wrote  to  Dil  Assa  Khan  :  "  I  will  ruin  you 
and  your  family  if  you  ask  one  single  (derahem)  farthing  from  my 
friend  Joseph  Wolff,  and  do  not  discharge  well  your  business."  And 
to  me  he  wrote  that  to  Sarakhs  I  should  not  part  from  the  caravan, 
and  at  Sarakhs  I  should  take  on  with  me,  beside  Dil  Assa  Khan,  also 
four  Turkomauns  and  ten  from  Mowr,  where  I  am  already  announced 
by  the  two  hundred  Turkomaun  chiefs.  Dil  Assa  Khan  is  now  very 
humble  and  submissive. 

We  arrived  at  Masteroon,  a  fortress  built  upon  the  height  of  the 
mountain,  in  order  to  watch  the  movements  of  the  Turkomauns  of 
Sarakhs ;  and  to  prevent  them  from  plundering  the  caravans,  fifty 
artillerymen  are  on  this  account  placed  here  with  some  cavalry  by 
the  AssafF-ood-Dowla.  The  chief  of  those  soldiers  came  to  my  tent ; 
I  made  him  a  present  of  a  loaf  of  bread ;  he  observed  other  Saheboon 
(a  name  given  to  English  gentlemen)  made  him  always  a  present  of 
some  tomauns.  I  replied,  "  that  a  mullah's  bread  is  blessed."  He 
was  quiet. 

On  the  3rd  of  April  we  arrived  at  Karagosh  (Black  Straight),  for 
the  water  is  black  here  between  two  straights,  and  very  salt. 

On  the  4th  of  April,  we  passed  the  desert  place  of  Abe-Sherok,  and 
came  to  Gonbazli,  twenty  miles  from  Sarakhs.  Here  I  had  nothing 
left  to  eat  but  dates  and  bread,  and  rain  water  to  drink.  I  forgot  to 
mention  that  Rajab,  after  all,  went  on  with  me  from  Meshed,  and  ac- 
companied me  as  far  as  Merve.  I  had  also  with  me  Mullah  SefFee, 
the  Jew,  who  served  Conolly  and  Stoddart,  the  first  time  when  at 
Khiva,  the  second  when  at  Bokhara.  He  was  also  with  Todd  at  He- 
raut.  I  cannot  enough  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the  English  people 
the  necessity  of  sending  an  English  gentleman  by  birth  to  Meshed  ; 
for  though  Mullah  Mehdee  is  very  useful,  still  he  needs  the  surveil- 

21 


162  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

lance  of  an  English  gentleman,  and  the  agent  of  Stoddart,  Muham. 
med  Ali  Serraf,  is  a  most  contemptible  fellow. 

On  the  5th  of  April  (Friday),  we  arrived  at  Gonbazli,  three  far- 
sakhs  (twelve  miles)  from  the  former  :  nothing  but  a  well  in  the  des- 
ert, and  very  salt.  On  the  6th  of  April  (Saturday),  slept  again  in 
the  desert.  We  crossed  the  Derya  Sarakhs  (River  of  Sarakhs), 
which  comes  from  Heraut.  On  the  7th  we  arrived  at  the  Camp  of 
Nafas  Beyk,  who  lives  twenty-four  miles  from  Old  Sarakhs,  a  ruin 
since  Abbas  Mirza  came  there  accompanied  by  Borowsky.  Nafas 
Beyk  treated  me  hospitably,  for  which  he  expected  a  Khelat.  I  gave 
him  a  Turkomaun  shirt.  On  the  8th  of  April  (Monday),  we  left  the 
camp  of  Nafas  Beyk,  but  lost  our  way  in  the  desert,  as  the  sky  was 
very  foggy,  and  only  found  it  again  on  the  9th  of  April  (Tuesday). 

To-day  (10th  of  April,  Wednesday),  we  made  twenty-four  miles, 
and  are  in  a  desert  place,  where  there  is  a  Hausee-khan — a  house 
of  water  made  by  a  khan.  I  was  now  sixty  miles  from  Merve,  and 
three  hundred  miles  from  Bokhara.  I  received  yesterday  a  letter 
from  Mullah  Mehdee,  sent  from  Meshed  by  a  Turkomaun  on  purpose, 
enclosing  a  letter  from  Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  governor  of  Heraut, 
who  promised  his  powerful  influence  to  me  with  the  King  of  Bokhara. 
The  King  of  Bokhara  intends  to  march  against  Khiva  ;  it  is  therefore 
probable  that  I  shall  meet  him  to-morrow  at  Merve,  or,  after  a  few 
days,  at  Jehaar-Joo. 

I  was  bothered  every  day  .to  death  by  my  companion,  Dil  Assa 
Khan,  the  man  of  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla,  for  presents,  which  I  firmly 
refused.  I  arrived  safely,  April  12th,  at  Mowr,  and  was  received 
very  hospitably  by  Abd  Arrahman,  the  Khaleef  of  Khiva  and  Bok- 
hara. The  Jew  Nathan,  and  other  Jews  who  knew  me  twelve  years 
ago  when  in  this  place,  immediately  called  on  me,  and  we  talked  over 
old  times.  I  may  safely  say  that  I  was,  in  the  year  1831,  the  only 
Englishman  known  in  the  desert  of  Mowr,  but  now  the  names  of  Stod- 
dart, Conolly,  Shakespeare  (who  is  called  Sheikh-Sefeer),  Abbott, 
Todd,  Riach,  and  Thomson,  are  mentioned  with  respect  and  regard, 
and  the  whole  nation  is  admired  ;•  so  that  Lord  Palmerston  ought  to 
have  the  thanks  of  Britain  for  having  invaded  AfFghanistaun,  for  even 
in  Affghanistaun  they  think  now  with  affection  of  England  and  Eng- 
lishmen. Abd  Arrahman,  my  host,  is  a  venerable  old  TQrkomaun, 
worthy  of  his  office  ;  a  man  without  many  words,  without  covetous- 
ness,  given  to  prayer,  and  a  friend  of  hospitality.  Conolly  stopped  in 
his  house  when  going  from  Cabul  to  Khiva.  One  of  his  sons  knew 
Major  Todd  well ;  if  the  British  government  in  India  could  be  aware 
how  highly  respected  Todd  rendered  the  English  name  throughout 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  163 

Tflrkistaun,  they  would  not  have  sent  him  back  to  his  regiment. 
The  name,  and  liberality,  and  kindness  of  Todd,  resound  through  the 
desert  of  Turkistaun  ;  and  thus  is  Riach  respected,  and  the  above- 
named  gentlemen ;  only  Stoddart  is  described  as  a  brave  but  rough 
man  universally  ;  Conolly  is  described  as  a  man  of  religion.  "» 

The  above-mentioned  Khaleefa  Abd  Arrahman  told  me  positively 
that  Stoddart  was  alive,  but  in  prison  ;  about  Conolly  he  was  not 
quite  certain.  The  Jew  Nathan  believed  them  to  be  dead,  but  had 
his  accounts  from  the  Akhund-Zadeh,  Saleh  Muhammed,  Colonel 
Sheil's  informant.  Rain,  slowness  of  the  camels,  wind  of  the  desert, 
occasional  want  of  water,  mistaking  the  road  on  cloudy  days,  were 
all  causes  for  unexpected  delays.  Beside  this,  the  country  is  in  a 
warlike  condition.  The  Turkomauns  here  in  Mowr,  or  Merve,  lately 
rebelled  against  Khiva,  and  killed  their  governor,  so  that  they  may 
expect  every  moment  an  invasion  of  the  army  of  Khiva.  There  are 
two  parties  here  and  at  Sarakhs,  some  tribes  holding  with  Bokhara, 
the  others  with  Khiva.  I  found  Captain  Grover  quite  right ;  Stoddart 
was  sent  by  Sir  John  McNeill,  but  Conolly  was  also  an  accredited 
agent,  for  he  was  sent  by  Sir  W.  Macnaghten  to  Bokhara  to  liberate 
Stoddart. 

A  letter  from  Bruges  reached  me  here  in  seventy-five  days. 
Ghersi's  account  about  Stoddart  was  erroneous,  for  Abdul  Samut 
Khan  is  a  Persian  at  Bokhara,  head  of  the  artillery,  but  is  erroneous- 
ly believed  by  many  to  be  an  Englishman,  or  Feringhee.  In  this 
remarkable  place  (Mowr)  there  is  an  equally  remarkable  man  ;  I  al- 
lude to  the  Khaleefa  of  the  Turkomauns.  My  readers  will  in  this 
work  see  the  portrait,  by  a  Persian  artist,  of  this  remarkable  indi- 
vidual. 

Providence  does  appear  in  a  most  wonderful  manner  to  operate  by 
the  most  singular  causes  to  restrain  the  wickedness  of  men.  The 
Tflrkomauns  of  the  desert  of  Mowr  and  Sarakhs  are  a  people  of  such 
a  perfidious  disposition,  and  of  such  great  rapacity,  that  one  could  not 
depend  for  a  moment  on  their  promises,  or  on  any  treaties  entered  into 
with  them  ;  for  the  Turkomauns,  as  well  as  the  Bedflins  in  the  deserts 
of  Arabia,  do  not  consider  consequences,  but  are  only  restrained  by 
instant  infliction  of  punishment ;  and  therefore,  no  caravan  could  ever 
dream  of  passing  through  the  deserts  of  Mowr,  Sarakhs,  and  Rafetak, 
if  there  was  not  one  man  in  that  desert  who  knew  how  to  restrain  the 
Turkomauns.  This  man  is  the  great  derveesh,  who  has  the  title  of 
Khaleefa,  or  successor  of  the  Prophet,  and  is  addressed  by  the  royal 
epithet  of  Hasrat,  i.  e.  Majesty,  and  to  whom  are  paid  all  the  honours 
due  to  royalty  by  the  Turkomauns.  His  blessing  they  invoke  pre- 


164  NARRATIVE   OF    THE   MISSION 

vious  to  their  going  on  any  expedition,  and  to  him  they  give  the  tenth 
of  all  their  spoil.  He  receives  all  the  caravans  under  his  protection, 
and  shows  hospitality  to  all  the  wanderers.  His  blessing  is  the  most 
ardent  desire  of  the  Turkomauns,  and  his  curse  their  deepest  dread. 
He  inculcates  among  them  the  rites  of  hospitality,  and  tells  them  that 
Abraham  was  honoured  with  the  visit  of  angels,  as  a  reward  from 
God  for  his  hospitality.  Even  the  Kings  of  Bokhara,  Khiva,  Khotan, 
and  Khokand,  and  even  the  Governor  of  Yarkand  in  Chinese  Tartary, 
send  him  presents,  and  give  him  the  title  of  King.  His  name  is  Abd 
Urrahman,  "  Slave  of  the  merciful  God  j"  for,  on  the  day  of  his  birth, 
the  merciful  God  sent  rain  over  the  desert  after  it  had  not  rained  for 
a  long  time  :  such  is  his  gifted  nativity  in  the  mind  of  these  simple- 
minded  people.  He  has  a  son,  whose  name  is  Kereem  Werde,  which 
means,  "  The  bountiful  God  has  given  ;"  for  after  God  had  only  given 
daughters  to  the  Khaleefa,  He  at  last  bountifully  added  a  son  to  his 
family.  This  is  the  man  sent  by  Providence  to  keep  the  Turkomauns 
in  order  to  a  certain  degree.  I  say  to  a  certain  degree,  for  he  him- 
self encourages  them  to  fight  and  spoil  the  Sheea,  which  he  tells  them 
is  more  acceptable  to  God  than  the  performances  of  pilgrimages  to 
Mecca  or  to  Masaur,  near  Balkh,  where  Ali's  camel  ascended  to 
heaven. 

Several  years  ago  the  King  of  Khiva  had  forced  upon  the  Turk- 
omauns of  Mowr,  a  governor,  who  resided  in  the  castle  of  Mowr, 
with  600  Khivites.  The  Turkomauns  conspired  against  him,  and  slew 
him  and  several  hundred  of  the  Khivites.  Aboui  three  hundred  took 
refuge  in  the  house  of  the  Khaleefa  Abd  Urrahman.  The  Turkomauns 
rushed  to  his  house,  and  asked  him  furiously  to  deliver  up  to  their 
vengeance  the  rest  of  the  Khivites ;  but  he  boldly  came  out  of  his 
house  and  said,  "  First  you  must  put  to  death  your  Khaleefa,  and  then 
those  unfortunate  men  who  took  refuge  under  my  roof."  The  infuri- 
ated Turkomauns  retired,  and  during  the  night  time  he  escorted  the 
remnant  of  the  Khivites  out  of  the  desert  of  Mowr  until  they  were  safe 
from  being  pursued  by  the  Turkomauns. 

During  my  stay  at  Mowr,  a  company  of  dancing  derveeshes  arrived 
from  Yarkand,  who  stripped  themselves  and  danced  about  until  they 
sank  down  to  the  ground.  The  son  of  the  Khaleefa,  seeing  them 
dance  about  thus,  stripped  himself  also,  and  danced  about  with  them. 
The  coincidence  in  the  method  of  naming  his  children,  and  of  these 
wild  rites,  with  some  passages  in  Scripture,  cannot  but  strike  our 
readers.  We  adduce  one  in  corroboration  of  the  latter :  "  And  he 
stripped  off  his  clothes  also,  and  prophesied  before  Samuel  in  ilke 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  165 

manner,  and  lay  down  naked  all  that  day  and  all  that  night.  Where- 
fore they  say,  '  Is  Saul  also  among  the  prophets  ?' >:  1  Sam.  xix.  24. 

The  chiefs  of  the  Tflrkomauns  came  from  all  parts,  and  said  to  me 
loudly :  "  Write  to  your  King  of  England,  that  if  he  gives  us  a  good 
sum  of  money,  we  will  assist  him  in  sending  an  army  to  Bokhara,  in 
order  that  he  may  punish  the  King  of  Bokhara,  for  having  put  to  death 
Stoddart  Saib  and  Conolly  Saib,  for  we  Turkomauns  do  not  mind  who 
governs  those  countries  of  Bokhara  and  Khiva,  whether  Behadur 
Khan,  or  England,  or  Russia  ;  if  we  only  get  khelais  (robes  of  honour) 
and  tillahs,  i.  e.  ducats.  We  are  now  sorely  pressed  by  Khiva,  for 
we  have  slain  the  governor ;  and  the  Kajar,  i.  e.  Persia,  cannot  be 
trusted;  and  therefore  we  shall  at  last  go  nearer  to  the  Russian  ter- 
ritory, where  they  have  built  a  castle.  A  pity  it  is  that  the  Kasaks 
and  Kirgiz  and  the  snow  have  prevented  the  Russians  from  marching 
towards  Khiva,  for  we  would  have  assisted  them  in  spoiling  and  killing 
the  people  of  Khiva !" 

The  Khaleefa  also  told  me  :  "If  you  wish  to  go  to  Bokhara,  I  will 
send  on  a  Turkomaun  to  Bokhara,  and  recommend  you  to  the  King 
there,  previous  to  your  proceeding  hence,  but  I  do  not  advise  you  to 
go,  for  I  thought,  at  first,  that  Conolly  was  alive  ;  but  I  am  mistaken — 
he  is  dead,  and  it  is  quite  a  different  person  who  is  now  with  Abdul 
Samut  Khan.  Youssuff  Wolff,  you  are  a  derveesh  like  myself,  permit 
me  to  save  you,  and  to  be  instrumental  to  your  escape  to  the  Turko- 
mauns of  Akhaul,  who  will  bring  you  to  Astarabad,  whence  you  may 
proceed  to  Khiva.  Do  not  go  to  Bokhara."  I  replied,  "  To  Bokhara 
I  must  go."  The  Khaleefa  therefore  wrote  letters  to  the  governor  of 
Jehaar-Joo,  and  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  mentioning  to  them  that  I 
was  a  holy  man,  and  came  accompanied  by  Dil  Assa  Khan,  a  man  of 
the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  but  that  Dil  Assa  Khan  designed  to  betray  me, 
but  he  (the  Khaleefa)  exhorted  His  Majesty  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  to 
treat  me  well. 

I  think  that  it  might  be  of  the  highest  importance  and  beneficial 
consequences,  if  the  British  government  would  charge  their  ambassador 
at  Teheraun  to  enter  into  a  friendly  correspondence  with  the  Khaleefa 
of  Mowr,  and  send  him  presents  from  time  to  time.  He  requested  me 
to  write  to  Colonel  Sheil,  that  he  should  intercede  with  the  King  of 
Persia  in  behalf  of  four  Turkomauns,  who  were  kept  as  slaves  by  the 
King's  mother,  in  order  that  they  might  be  set  free  again.  I  wrote  to 
Colonel  Sheil,  but  I  received  no  answer  about  them.  He  also  wished 
me  to  write  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  in  whose  hands  there  were  twenty 
Turkomaun  prisoners,  that  he  should  release  them.  I  wrote  to  this 
effect  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  and  he  promised  to  do  so. 


166  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

The  Jews  who  reside  at  Mowr,  and  are  either  from  Heraut  or 
Meshed,  are  great  favourites  with  the  Khaleefa,  and  some  of  those  who 
were  forced  to  become  Mussulmans  at  Meshed,  exercise  again  the 
Jewish  religion  at  Mowr. 

Nathan,  the  above-mentioned  old  Jew,  called  on  me  one  day  with  a 
derveesh,  from  Kashgar.  The  derveesh  from  Kashgar  observed: 
«  Youssuff  Wolff,  who  is  the  Author  of  the  Fire  and  Water  ?" 

W.  God. 

Derveesh.  No  such  thing  !  Satan  is  the  author  of  both ;  for  fire  and 
water  are  destructive  materials,  and  therefore  it  is  impossible  that  God 
could  be  the  author  of  them.  And  you  ought  to  know  that  there  are 
two  Gods, — one  is  God  of  the  world  above,  who  is  a  good  God,  who 
created  the  light  which  does  not  burn,  and  who  created  the  rose  and 
the  nightingale ;  but  a  battle  took  place  between  God  above  and  God 
below,  and  the  God  below  marred  all  the  creatures  of  God  above ; 
and  this  is  a  fight  which  still  goes  on.  Men  who  act  well  are  servants 
of  the  God  above,  and  his  creatures.  Men  who  act  badly  are  the 
servants  of  the  God  below.  There  shall  be  another  battle  fought,  when 
the  God  below  shall  ascend  to  the  seventh  heaven  with  myriads  of  his 
soldiers ;  flying  serpents  shall  soar  up  with  him ;  but  the  God  below 
shall  be  defeated,  and  at  last  shall  become  a  humble  subject  of  the 
God  above ! 

I  then  read  with  the  derveesh,  and  Nathan  the  Jew,  Revelation  xii., 
and  showed  to  them  how  far  Scripture  agrees  with  them,  and  how  far 
not.  I  then  said,  "  All  that  is,  is  the  work  of  God — of  that  God  who 
is  above,  and  who  is  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  of  Adam 
and  Eve ;  and  after  He  had  overlooked  all  things  that  He  had  made, 
He  pronounced  everything  to  be  good,  but  Satan,  in  the  garb  of  a 
serpent,  and  who  is  called  by  the  apostle  the  God  of  this  world,  be- 
guiled Eve,  and  she  her  husband,  and  thus  evil  came  into  the  world ; 
and  as  where  tyranny  prevails  the  country  becomes  a  desert,  thus  the 
world  and  men  therein  became  corrupt ;  but  Jesus,  the  Word  of  God, 
who  descended  from  heaven,  and  was  born  of  Mary,  came  to  the  world 
below  to  unite  again  the  Creator  with  the  creature  ;  and  to  effect  this 
great  work  he  showed  his  love  to  the  creatures  by  giving  his  life  for 
them,  but  took  it  again  after  three  days.  He  gained  by  that  first  act 
a  great  many  followers  of  all  nations,  and  those  countries  which  follow 
Him  are  therefore  better,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof  better,  than  those 
who  do  not  follow  Him ;  but  a  combat  is  still  going  on  between  God 
and  Satan — between  the  followers  of  the  one  and  the  other — the  seed 
of  the  serpent  and  the  woman's  seed — and  will  be  carried  on  until 
Jesus  the  Meseeh,  i.  e.  Christ,  shall  return  with  ten  thousands  of  his 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA.  167 

saints  amidst  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  and  the  shout  of  archangels,  and 
the  rising  of  those  dead  people  who  became  martyrs  for  the  sake  of  the 
religion  of  Jesus.  And  then  Satan  shall  also  be  killed,  who,  though  call- 
ed  '  God,'  is  not  an  eternal  God,  but  was  a  created  angel,  who  remained 
not  faithful  to  his  Creator,  and  then  Jesus  shall  erect  his  throne  at 
Jerusalem,  and  there  shall  be  a  communication  between  the  inhabitants 
on  earth  and  the  inhabitants  in  heaven,  and  angels  shall  ascend  up  to 
God  and  descend  upon  Jesus  his  Son. 

At  the  request  of  the  Khaleefa,  I  addressed  to  Captain  Grover  the 
following  letter : 

Desert  of  Merve  or  Mowr,  12th  April,  1844. 
My  dear  Grover,  and  to  the  whole  Committee ! 

I  now  write  to  you  at  the  request  of  the  Khaleefa  or  spiritual  guide  of  all  the 
Turkomauns  throughout  the  Desert,  and  even  the  spiritual  guide  of  the  Kings  of 
Bokhara,  Khiva,  Khokand,  Tashkand,  and  Shar  Sabz,  who  has  the  title  Majesty 
(Hasrat) ;  I  am  his  guest.  He  entered  just  now  my  room,  and  showed  to  me  a 
letter,  in  which  he  wrote  to  the  King  of  Bokhara  that  it  was  of  the  highest  impor- 
tance to  deliver  up  the  strangers  to  me,  (i.  e.  Stoddart  and  Conolly),  and  to  make 
reparations  for  the  insult  to  England,  and  not  to  keep  me  longer  than  three  days  at 
Bokhara.  This  letter  was  dispatched  by  an  express  Turkomaun  on  horseback,  who 
will  arrive  in  three  days,  and  three  days  before  me. 

His  Majesty  also  sends  with  me  one  of  his  own  relations  and  disciples,  to  introduce 
me  properly  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  and  ten  Turkomauns  as  far  as  Jehaar-Joo,  the 
first  town  belonging  to  Bokhara. 

He  desired  me,  therefore,  to  express  to  the  Queen  his  ardent  desire  to  become  a 
sincere  friend  to  the  British  nation,  and  that  he  accompanies  this  request  with  the 
following  petition:  One  year  ago  Raheem  Dad  Beyk,  chief  of  the  Hazara,  made 
twenty  prisoners  of  the  Turkomauns  of  Mowr,  and  sold  them  as  slaves  to  the 
Assaff-ood-Dowla,  who  will  not  deliver  them  up  though  the  Khaleefa  restored  to  the 
Assaff  eight  Persian  slaves  in  his  possession.  He  (the  Khaleefa)  requests,  therefore, 
the  Queen  or  the  Vizier  of  England  to  intercede  for  the  twenty  Turkomauns  to  the 
Assaff  at  Meshed,  in  order  that  the  twenty  Turkornaun  slaves  may  be  restored  to 
liberty,  as  he  has  not  the  thousand  tomauns  demanded  for  them  in  his  possession. 
I  promised  to  his  Majesty  to  write  to  Lord  Aberdeen,  and  also  through  you  and  the 
Committee  to  the  Society  for  the  Abolition  of  Slavery.  Give  your  assistance  in 
this  affair,  and  Britain's  name  will  be  greater  than  ever  in  the  desert  of  Turkistaun. 

In  six  days  it  will  be  decided  whether  Stoddart  and  Conolly  are  alive,  or 
whether  I  shall  be  allowed  to  leave  the  town  again.  In  six  days  I  shall  enter 
Bokhara. 

Pray  for  your  affectionate  friend, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

While  here,  I  cannot  express  how  much  pleased  I  felt  with  the  dil- 
igence and  attention  of  Mullah  Mehdee.  My  letters  of  the  date  of 
the  3rd  of  February  reached  me  even  here  by  the  kindness  of  Colo- 
nel  Sheil  and  this  valuable  agent ;  but  had  Mullah  Muhammed  Ali 


168  NARRATIVE    OP   THE   MISSION 

Serraf  been  the  medium,  the  villain  would  have  kept  them  from  me, 
possibly  for  a  year. 

Yar  Muhammed,  the  present  governor  of  Heraut,  wrote  most 
strongly,  I  was  told,  to  the  King  of  Bokhara  in  my  behalf. 

The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  has  behaved  most  handsomely  during  my 
whole  connection  with  him.  But  Dil  Assa  Khan  frustrated  all  his 
benevolent  purposes  in  every  possible  way. 

The  sensation  created  at  Bokhara  by  the  letter  of  Lord  Ellenbor- 
ough  I  learn  was  extraordinary.  The  Khan  expected  a  direct  com- 
munication  from  the  Queen,  and  was  greatly  irritated  by  not  receiv- 
ing it. 

The  Desert  here  even,  I  repeat,  rings  with  the  names  of  Todd,  Ri- 
ach,  Shakespeare,  Thomson.  From  the  Affghanistaun  war  the  Eng- 
lish name  is  now  known,  respected,  admired,  and  even  loved  among 
the  Turkomauns.  The  children  of  the  Desert  speak  of  the  English 
as  the  noblest  sons  of  the  earth. 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  which  raised  encouraging  sensations,  I 
could  not  but  feel  that  I  was  about  to  place  myself  wholly  unprotected 
in  the  hands  of  a  despotic  monarch  of  more  than  ordinary  cruelty, 
even  for  an  Eastern  dynasty  ;  one  who  had  probably  put  to  death 
many  of  my  countrymen,  as  well  protected  as  myself.  I  committed 
myself  therefore,  as  all  should  do  in  perilous  circumstances,  to  the 
keeping  of  God's  good  providence,  which  had  so  wonderfully  sustained 
me  previously,  and  which  I  trusted  would  yet  preserve  me  for  better 
things.  In  anticipation  of  the  worst,  I  sent  the  following  letter  to 
Lady  Georgiana : 

Nerve  or  Mowr,  14th  April,  1844. 
My  dearest  and  most  beloved  Georgiana, 

I  set  out  after  two  hours  from  here  for  Bokhara.  The  Khaleefa  of  Mow? 
has  behaved  most  excellently  towards  me  ;  he  has  sent  one  of  his  own  disciples 
with  me  to  Bokhara.  Be  of  good  spirits,  my  dearest  Georgiana,  for  all  that  may 
happen  to  me  there  is  of  the  Lord.  I  go  there  without  much  apprehension,  I 
often  think  of  you  and  dear  Henry,  and  pray  pardon  me,  both  of  you,  if  I  have/ 
ever  uttered  an  unkind  word ;  I  love  both  of  you  more  than  myself.  All  the  Turko- 
mauns behave  very  respectfully  to  me. 

Your  most  loving  husband, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

At  Mowr,  Nizam  Oolmulk,  the  Great  Vizier  of  Malek  Shah,  of  the 
Seljuck  dynasty,  established  a  school,  and  since  that  time,  as  the 
Turkomauns  assured  me,  a  school  is  kept  up,  and  even  now,  the  sons 
of  the  Great  Khaleefa  keep  a  school  at  Merw,  in  which  they  instruct 
the  children  in  the  Arabic  and  Persian  tongues.  I  must  here  observe 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  169 

that  it  is  remarkable  that  wherever  celebrated  schools  have  existed  in 
ancient  time,  among  the  Eastern  people,  they  would  consider  it  a  sin 
to  give  them  up.  It  is  thus  invariably  among  the  Muhammedans,  the 
Guebers,  and  the  Jews.  I  instance,  first,  that  at  Mowr,  already  men- 
tioned  ;  though  a  desert,  a  school  is  kept  there,  on  account  of  its  anti- 
quity. At  Bassora,  in  the  Persian  Gulf,  though  destroyed,  the  school 
is  not  given  up ;  at  Bagdad  the  same ;  and  even  the  Arabs  around 
Kufa  have  a  school ;  and  Temen  or  Yemen,  where  knowledge  did  not 
cease  in  the  time  of  Jeremiah,  to  this  day  has  celebrated  schools, — 
Zubeyd,  Sanaa,  Hodeydah,  and  Loheyah.  And,  with  regard  to  the 
Jews,  I  shall  only  mention  that  in  the  city  of  Safet,  where  the  great 
Simon  Ben  Yohaaye,  the  compiler  of  the  Book  of  Zohar,  and  the 
other  compilers  of  the  Talmud,  lived,  a  famous  school  is  still  existing. 
At  Yazd,  in  Persia,  formerly  the  seat  of  Parsee  learning,  the  ancient 
Parsee  language  is  still  taught. 

At  Merw,  all  those  Jews  who  have  been  constrained  to  embrace 
Muhammedanism  in  other  parts  of  Persia,  are  permitted  to  return 
to  their  ancient  usages  and  religion.  But  it  is  a  remarkable  fact, 
that  there  are  some  Jews  at  Mowr,  who  have  professed  the  Mu- 
hammedan  religion  and  become  Turkomauns,  and  that  there  are 
Jews  at  Khiva,  of  whom  I  was  told  at  Mowr,  who,  though  remain, 
ing  Jews,  have  intermarried  with  the  Usbeks.  And  is  it  not  stri- 
king, that  Jews  have  received  the  most  powerful  protection  among  the 
wild  inhabitants  of  the  desert  ?  Thus,  Jews,  who  are  tyrannized  over 
at  Bokhara  and  in  Persia,  fly  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  desert,  at  Mowr, 
Sarakhs,  Akhal,  and  to  the  Hazarah  in  Affghanistaun.  And  this  is 
even  the  case  in  Morocco,  where  they  often  fly  from  the  tyranny 
of  the  Emperor  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  desert  at  Tafilla-Leth. 
And  in  Mesopotamia  they  escape  from  Bagdad  and  Mosul  to  the  wild 
Yeseede,  in  the  mountains  of  Sunjar. 

Here,  before  I  proceed  further,  I  have  a  few  words  to  say  on 
the  campaigns  of  Ghengis  Khan  in  these  regions.  Ghengis  Khan 
was  attacked  by  Jelaal-Oodeen,  the  son  of  Allahdeen  Muhammed, 
King  of  Organtsh  or  Khiva.  The  great  Ghengis  Khan  therefore 
marched  from  the  city  of  Turkistaun  or  Hazrat  Sultaun,  first  to 
Khokand,  Khodjand,  Samarcand,  Bokhara,  Peykand,  Jesmaan-Doo, 
Allat,  Jehaar-Joo,  Rafitak ;  thence  to  the  borders  of  the  Caspian  in 
the  land  of  Khorassaun. 

This  leads  me  now  to  speak  on  the  question  agitated  so  much  in 
England,  Will  the  Russians  be  able  to  march  towards  India  from  that 
road  ?  Having  so  many  people,  as  Macdonald  Kinneir,  and  others, 
against  me,  who  consider  it  improbable,  and  being  devoid  of  mili- 

22 


170  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

tary  knowledge,  I  may  not  be  considered  a  competent  authority ;  but, 
despite  of  this,  I  must  give  my  decided  opinion,  that  I  believe  that  the 
Russians  can  march  with  great  ease  through  those  countries.  It  will 
be  asked,  Why  were  they  not  able  to  do  so  in  1838  and  1839,  when 
they  intended  to  march  against  Khiva  ?  I  answer,  that,  in  order 
not  to  involve  themselves  in  war  with  the  Kings  of  Khokand,  Bok- 
hara, and  Shahr-Sabz,  they  intended  to  make  the  whole  route  through 
the  desert  from  Orenbourgh  to  Khiva.  Probably  they  also  did  so,  in 
order  to  show  to  England  that  they  had  no  design  on  Bokhara  and  Kho- 
kand, but  only  to  get  redress  for  the  insults  they  received  from  Khiva. 
But  if  once  they  are  determined  to  make  themselves  masters  of  those 
countries,  nothing  is  more  easy  for  them  than  to  march  from  the  fron- 
tiers of  Russia  to  the  city  of  Hazrat  Sultaun,  or  Turkistaun.  Hence 
to  Khokand,  and,  with  a  few  thousand  troops,  insure  Samarcand  and 
Bokhara ;  and  the  people,  disaffected  as  they  are  with  their  respective 
governments,  will  not  fire  a  shot.  Nothing  can  resist  in  these  coun- 
tries a  well-disciplined  artillery  and  cavalry ;  and  the  body  of  the 
army  may  march  to  Khokand,  to  Cashgar,  and  Cashmeer,  and  thence 
come  down  to  Lahore  and  India.  Not  one  shot  would  be  fired,  for  the 
people  of  Cashmeer  would  receive  them  with  open  arms,  and  at  La- 
hore the  British  army  would  meet  them,  and  then  the  strongest  would 
have  it.  And  also  there,  much  will  depend  upon  whether  the  people 
of  the  Punjaub  are  affected  or  disaffected  to  England.  Or  they  may 
go  from  Khokand  to  Kondus  and  Khoollom,  thence  to  But-Bamian  ; 
and  if  they  keep  friends  and  promise  liberty  to  the  Guzl-Bash  from 
the  yoke  of  Dost  Muhammed  Khan  and  Akbar  Khan,  they  will  obtain 
a  powerful  body  of  auxiliaries.  And  as  the  Guzl-Bash  in  Affghanis- 
taun  have  been  most  shamefully  abandoned  by  the  British  army  af- 
ter the  retreat  of  Lord  Ellenborough,  they  certainly  will  join  tL3 
Russians. 

I  must  also  note,  that  the  moment  I  heard  that  the  English  had  in- 
vaded Affghanistaun,  I  wrote  from  High  Hoyland,  where  I  was  the 
curate  of  the  Reverend  Christopher  Bird,  to  Lord  Hill,  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief,  and  told  him  that  if  the  English  people  did  not  keep 
a  bright  look  out  near  Cabul  they  might  be  cut  to  pieces  by  the  moun- 
taineers. So  it  happened.  But  I  say  that  though  I  considered  that 
whole  war  a  gross  act  of  imprudence,  Lord  Ellenborough  ought  to 
have  ordered  the  troops  to  stop  there  five  years  after  they  had  recon- 
quered Cabul  and  Ghuznee.  The  shout  of  the  Affghaun  nation  at 
seeing  the  English  return  was,  "  These  Englishmen  are  like  birds  fly- 
ing in  the  air,  nothing  can  be  done  with  them ; — they  are  more  dan- 
gerous after  defeat  than  victory; — we  must  submit."  The  Guzl- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  171 

Bash  also  would  have  taken  fresh  courage,  and  have  stood  by  them  to 
a  man.  Christianity  might  have  been  established  among  them,  but 
by  the  sudden  retreat  the  poor  Guzl-Bash  have  been  left  a  prey  to  the 
vindictiveness  of  the  Affghauns.  Meer-Ali-Nake,  as  his  letter  from 
Shakespeare  proved  to  me,  had  assisted  most  gallantly  the  English 
people  in  retaking  the  prisoners  at  But  Bamian,  in  reward  for  which 
he  is  given  over  to  beggary  with  thousands  of  other  Guzl-Bash.  There 
is  also  a  loud  complaint  all  over  Affghanistaun,  that  the  English  peo- 
ple did  not  behave  well  towards  Nawaub  Jabar  Khan,  brother  to  Dost 
Muhammed  Khan,  who  was  the  greatest  friend  to  the  English  before 
the  war,  so  much  so  that  even  to  this  moment  Dost  Muhammed  Khaft 
frequently  asks  him  in  a  joking  manner,  "  Now,  brother,  how  are  youi 
friends  the  English  going  on  ?"  It  must,  however,  be  confessed,  thai 
nevertheless  the  name  of  the  Englishman  is  respected  all  over 
AfFghanistaun  and  Khorassaun,  as  already  said,  and  many  of  the 
Saddoo-Szeyes  still  expect  to  regain  their  throne  by  the  influence  of 
England. 

It  must  also  be  observed,  that  the  Russians  have  now  steamers  in 
the  Caspian  Sea,  and  have  built  a  fortress  on  the  shore,  not  far  from 
Khiva,  where  they  can  easily  land  troops  ;  no  power  can  then  prevent 
them  from  taking  Khiva,  and  when  once  Khiva  is  in  their  possession, 
they  may  march  to  Balkh  with  the  greatest  ease ;  neither  the  Usbeg 
nor  the  Hasara  will  dream  of  resisting  the  Russian  army,  and  thus 
they  may  proceed  towards  India  as  above  stated.  The  other  way  for 
the  Russians  to  advance  towards  India  is  to  make  an  alliance  with  the 
Assaff-ood-Dowla  after  the  death  of  the  King  Muhammed  Shah,  and 
march  with  him  through  the  land  of  the  Hasara,  Maymona,  and  Ank- 
hoy,  towards  Cabul ;  for  it  must  not  be  concealed,  that  the  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla  is  more  favourably  disposed  towards  the  Russians  than  towards 
the  English  government,  for  more  attention  is  paid  to  him  by  the  Rus- 
sians than  by  the  English,  and  he  was  especially  displeased  at  his  not 
receiving  any  answer  to  the  letter  which  he  sent  through  me  to  His 
Grace  the  Duke  of  Wellington ;  and  it  may  be  asserted  with  cer- 
tainty, that  all  the  members  of  the  Royal  Family  in  Persia  are  more 
inclined  to  Russia  than  to  England,  and  almost  all  the  people  in  au- 
thority, whilst  the  populace  in  general  are  more  inclined  to  England ; 
and  I  have  not  the  least  doubt,  that  one  of  the  reasons  for  which  the 
people  in  authority  are  offended  at  England  is,  the  shabby  presents 
they  get  from  the  British  government,  at  the  suggestion  of  Colonel 
Sheil :  as  instances  I  mention  these  three  facts.  1st.  The  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla  twice  sent  to  the  King  of  Bokhara  presents  to  the  amount  of 
five  hundred  tomauns,  once  by  Hassan-Baba,  who  was  sent  by  the 


172  NARRATIVE   OF   THE    MISSION 

Assaff-ood-Dowla,  eleven  days  before  my  arrival  at  Meshed,  to  Bok- 
hara, and  then  by  Dil  Assa  Khan,  who  accompanied  me  to  Bokhara. 
To  my  great  horror,  after  my  return  to  Teheraun,  Colonel  Sheil  told 
me  that  he  had  proposed  to  the  British  government  to  make  a  present 
of  a  watch  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  Again,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  who 
behaved  so  generously  towards  me,  as  I  shall  show,  was  also  consid- 
ered as  adequately  remunerated  by  a  watch.  3rd.  Colonel  Sheil  sent 
with  me,  as  a  present  for  the  King  of  Bokhara,  a  silver  watch  and 
two  pieces  of  cloth,  both  not  worth  more  than  six  pounds,  by  which 
the  King  of  Bokhara  was  exceedingly  offended. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  173 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Departure  from  Mowr.  Letter  to  Captain  Grover.  Ameer  Sarog.  Vile  Conduct 
of  Dil  Assa  Khan.  First  serious  Apprehensions  of  the  Death  of  Stoddart  and 
Conolly.  Mode  of  Capital  Punishment  altered  at  Bokhara  from  Strangling  to 
Beheading.  Dr.  Wolff  entertains  serious  Alarm  for  his  own  Safety;  adopts 
Measures  accordingly.  Letters  of  Sultan  and  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  never  for- 
warded to  Ameer  by  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  by  order  of  Colonel  Sheil.  Distant 
manner  of  Colonel  Sheil  disadvantageous  to  the  British  Interest  in  Persia. 
Khosrow  Khan.  Dr.  Wolff  makes  up  his  mind  to  die.  Letter  from  Kalja  in  the 
Desert  to  his  Friends.  Writes  from  this  place  to  the  "  Philanthropists  of  Europe." 
Fall  of  Snow.  Conversations  in  the  Desert  with  Turkomauns.  Their  account 
of  Timur  Kurican.  Timur's  Pyramid  of  Skulls ;  Love  of  Truth  ;  Bodily  Strength ; 
Inflexible  Character  ;  Death  ;  believed  by  the  Jews  of  his  time  from  his  Warlike 
Character  to  be  the  Messiah.  Nadir  Shah.  Route.  Rafitak.  Dr.  Wolff  escapes 
Death  from  an  incursion  of  the  Khivites ;  his  Death  reported.  Jehaar-Joo.  Silly 
Conduct  of  Ameer  Sarog ;  his  wish  to  add  a  fourth  Wife  to  his  Harem  resisted 
by  the  other  three.  Dr.  Wolff  robbed  by  Dil  Assa  Khan  and  his  Followers. 
Shah  Kamran.  Yar  Muhammed  Khan;  puts  to  Death  his  Sovereign  Shah 
Kamran;  his  treacherous  Conduct  to  Dr.  Wolff ;  sends  three  Ambassadors  to 
the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  requesting  the  Ameer  to  put  Dr.  Wolff  to  Death,  but 
affects  to  be  well  disposed  to  him.  Dil  Assa  Khan  the  Servant  of  this  Yar 
Muhammed  Khan.  Dil  Assa  Khan  escapes  from  Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  and 
becomes  the  Servant  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  Letter  from  Dr.  Wolff  sent  on 
from  Jehaar-Joo  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara.  Visit  from  Jews  of  Bokhara.  They 
warn  Dr.  Wolff  of  his  Danger ;  recommend  Flight  to  Organtsh,  and  tell  him  of 
the  Death  of  Wyburt,  Stoddart,  and  Conolly,  and  five  other  Englishmen.  Der- 
veesh  tells  him  to  proceed. 

ON  April  14th,  I  quitted  the  roof  of  the  kind  and  excellent  Kha- 
leefa  with  great  regret,  and  advanced  into  the  Desert  twelve  miles, 
where  I  indited  the  following  epistle,  as  stealthily  as  I  could,  to 
Captain  Grover : 

In  the  Desert  of  Mowr,  twelve  miles  from 
the  house  of  the  Khaleefa,  in  the  tent 
My  dear  Grover,  of  Ameer  Sarog,  April  15,  1844. 

I  left  yesterday  the  house  of  the  Khaleefa,  where  I  wrote  to  you  two  days 
ago.  I  learnt  here  by  my  host,  a  very  highly  respectable  Turkomaun,  that  the 
King  of  Bokhara  took  great  offence  that  the  Queen  ordered  the  Governor-General 
of  India  to  answer  his  letter.  It  is  certain  that  no  public  execution  of  the  officers 
has  taken  place ;  but  it  is  also  certain,  that  if  they  are  alive  they  are  in  the  prison 
behind  the  harem  of  the  King.  I  advance  confidently  towards  Bokhara,  and  shall 
be  at  Jehaar-Joo  or  Char-Joo  after  two  days.  If  the  King  does  not  stop  me,  in 
three  days  more  I  shall  be  in  the  capital.  Should  I  find  them  alive — well, — if  not 


174  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

— and  should  my  head  fall,  exert  then  your  powers  for  the  ransoming  of  200,000 
Persian  slaves  in  the  kingdom  of  Bokhara.  I  cannot  write  much,  for  the  Turko- 
mauns  sit  near  me  on  the  ground.  Merve  is  already  subject  to  Bokhara,  and  in  a 
few  days  a  governor  from  Bokhara  will  be  sent  here. 

J.  WOLFF. 

April  15th.  I  passed  a  pleasant  day  in  the  tent  of  the  Turkomaun 
Ameer  Sarog.  A  most  extraordinary  fall  of  snow  took  place  at  this 
period.  Dil  Assa  Khan  grew  worse  and  worse.  Though  sent  by  the 
AssafF-ood-Dowla  to  protect  me  against  the  extortions  of  the  Turko- 
mauns,  I  was  actually  obliged  to  call  on  them  to  protect  me  against 
him.  Three  couriers  did  that  kind  friend  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla  send 
through  the  desert  to  threaten  him,  and  to  give  him  fair  warning.  If 
the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  catches  him  at  any  time,  I  would  not  give  a  para 
for  his  life.  The  Khaleefa  of  Mowr  sent  up  with  me  also  Ameer 
Sarog,  his  own  relative,  who  was  to  proceed  with  me  to  the  King  of 
Bokhara.  I  began  now  to  be  for  the  first  time  under  very  serious  ap- 
prehensions for  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  I  found  they  were  not  seen  at 
Bokhara  by  repeated  inquiries,  and  the  Samut  Khan  mentioned  by 
Ghersi,  the  Consul  of  Trebizond,  as  being  Colonel  Stoddart,  was,  I 
found,  not  a  correct  statement.  Samut  Khan  is  a  Persian  employed 
in  the  artillery,  and  called  "  Frankee"  by  the  people  of  Bokhara.  I 
found  also  the  other  European  young  man  with  him  was  not  Conolty, 
but  Giovanni,  an  Italian  watchmaker,  made  prisoner  by  the  King  of 
Bokhara  at  Khokand  and  brought  to  Bokhara.  This  Italian  had 
turned  Mussulman,  which  probably  led  some  persons  to  believe  him 
to  be  identical  with  Colonel  Stoddart. 

I  could  not,  however,  find  any  European  or  Asiatic  that  had  wit- 
nessed the  execution.  All  the  other  Europeans,  as  Youssuf  Khan, 
had  been  publicly  executed.  I  could  hot  help  thinking  that  there  was 
another  poor  Youssuf  who  might  shortly  share  the  fate  of  his  more 
dignified  predecessor.  Strangling,  I  learnt  also,  was  abandoned  by 
the  present  King — that  was  one  comfort,  for  I  have  a  strong  antipathy 
to  hanging — and  slaughtering  with  a  knife  substituted  in  its  room. 
This  was  not  the  case  when  I  was  Jlrst  at  Bokhara.  In  this  respect 
alone  is  Saleh  Muhammed  right  in  his  circumstances.  In  the  event 
of  anything  happening  to  me,  I  wrote,  knowing  that  alone  would  be 
efficacious,  to  my  wife,  to  say,  that  nothing  short  of  Her  Majesty's 
sign  manual  to  a  letter  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  could  save  me.  The 
Ameer  evidently  viewed  it  as  a  deadly  affront  that  the  letter  he  wrote 
by  Stoddart  to  the  Queen  was  answered  by  Lord  Ellenborough,  though 
Governor-General  of  India.  I  also  wrote  to  request  my  friends  to 
obtain  a  similar  letter  from  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  I  further  pressed 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  175 

on  them  not  to  forward  any  letter  from  the  Queen  to  the  King  of  Bok- 
hara by  Meshed,  for  Mullah  Mehdee  might  not  be  there  when  it  ar- 
rived, and  the  Persian  Muhammedan  agents  were  either  cowards  01 
rascals  ;  but  to  send  it  to  the  care  of  the  British  Ambassador  at  St, 
Petersbugh,  who  might  recommend  it  to  the  charge  of  Count  Nessel- 
rode,  to  transmit  via  Orenbourg  to  Bokhara  by  a  Cossack. 

I  knew,  if  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf,  my 
death  would  be  certain,  since  I  found,  as  I  have  mentioned,  in  the 
possession  of  that  villain,  the  identical  letter  written  by  the  Sultan, 
two  years  ago,  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  and  also  another  from  Sir 
Moses  Montefiore  to  the  Jews  of  Meshed.  When  I  asked  him  why 
the  letters  were  not  sent  on  by  an  express,  he  said,  "  Here  are  Colonel 
Sheil's  letters,  in  which  he  tells  me  not  to  send  them  on  by  an  express, 
but  at  a  convenient  opportunity."  I  am  at  a  loss  to  guess  the  motives 
of  Colonel  Sheil.  Perhaps  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  might  have  given 
him  intimations  of  which  I  am  not  aware,  which  influenced  him  to 
this  singular  course.  It  must  also  be  observed  that  Colonel  Sheil  was 
not  an  Ambassador,  but  simply  Charge  d'Affaires,  by  which  he  found 
himself  possibly  not  enabled  to  act  at  his  own  discretion,  but  from  in- 
structions from  the  British  Government.  It  gives  me  particular  pain 
to  utter  one  word  of  censure  of  Colonel  Sheil,  who  received  me  most 
kindly  at  Teheraun,  but  I  must,  from  a  regard  to  truth,  state,  that  his 
retired  and  distant  manner  operates  as  a  check  to  the  Persians,  and 
even  Europeans,  in  their  approaches  to  him.  It  is  quite  different  from 
what  I  witnessed  at  Teheraun  from  Sir  Henry  Willock  in  1825,  and 
from  Sir  John  Campbell  and  Sir  John  McNeill  in  1831.  At  that  time 
the  British  Embassy  was  the  rendezvous  of  the  great  men  of  Persia, 
but  now  it  is,  as  the  French  gentlemen  in  Persia  expressed  themselves, 
"L'ermitage  des  Anglais."  In  illustration,  I  supply  the  following 
anecdote. 

Khosrow  Khan,  one  of  the  chief  eunuchs  of  the  King  of  Persia, 
whom  I  had  frequently  seen  in  the  company  of  Sir  Henry  Willock 
and  Sir  John  McNeill,  called  on  me  at  the  last  visit  but  one  to  Tehe- 
raun, when  I  was  on  my  way  to  Bokhara.  On  his  leaving  me,  just 
as  he  was  going  out  of  the  house  he  looked  back  and  said,  "  Oh,  here 
formerly  my  friends  Willock  Saib,  Ousely  Saib,  McNeill  Saib,  Camp- 
bell Saib,  were  living  !  And  then  I  considered  the  British  Embassy 
my  home,  but  now  I  am  a  stranger  here."  Two  things  may  be  said 
in  defence  of  Colonel  Sheil :  1st.  He  is  exceedingly  bilious,  and  has 
frequent  attacks  of  gout,  which  may  preclude  conventionality.  2nd. 
The  present  Prime  Minister,  Haje  Mirza  Agasee,  is  very  jealous  of 
the  English  and  does  not  like  Persians  to  visit  the  British  Embassy ; 


176  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

but  this  is  also  the  case  with  the  Russian  Embassy,  but  I  saw  con- 
stantly the  latter  filled  with  Persians,  while  the  former  was  deserted. 

I  also  admonished  all  my  friends  to  bear  my  death,  should  it  hap- 
pen, as  the  will  of  God,  and  that  no  doubt  good  effects  would  spring 
from  it,  for  I  should  die  in  the  full  belief  of  His  all  holy  Son  Jesus, 
and  in  joyful  hope  of  a  resurrection  of  the  just. 

I  wrote  these  brief  notices  to  them  under  a  tent,  and,  having  no 
writing  paper,  on  the  slips  of  my  memorandum  book,  at  a  desert  place 
called  Kalja,  between  Mowr  and  Jehaar-Joo,  a  hundred  miles  in  ad- 
vance in  the  kingdom  of  Bokhara,  April  16th,  1844.  I  was  then  only 
a  hundred  and  eighty  miles  from  the  dangerous  capital  of  Bokhara's 
King. 

At  this  place  I  was  accompanied  by  a  caravan,  composed  of  people 
from  Bokhara,  Khokand,  Tashkand  and  Heraut.  At  Kalja  I  received 
a  present  of  a  lamb  from  the  Jew  Mullah  Seffy,  and  had  the  pleasure 
of  sending  back  by  the  Turkomaun  that  brought  it,  the  communica- 
tions alluded  to  with  the  beloved,  of  my  beloved  and  adopted  country, 
England,  and  also  the  following  letter  • 

To  the  Philanthropists  of  Europe. 

(Sent  from  Mowr.) 
My  dear  Friends ! 

I  am  now  proceeding  to  Bokhara,  from  which  city  I  am  only  seven  days  dis- 
tant. Soon  it  will  be  decided  whether  Stoddart  and  Conolly,  and  also  Cavaliere 
Naselli,  are  dead  !  The  general  report  in  the  Desert  of  Mowr  is,  that  they  have 
been  executed,  and  the  Turkomauns  assured  me  that  I  should  share  a  siinfJar  fate, 
and  they  advised  me  therefore  to  go  to  Khiva ;  but  I  am  determined  to  proceed  as 
long  as  there  is  the  least  probability  of  finding  them  alive,  or  perhaps  some 
other  Europeans.  Should  my  head  fall,  it  falls  for  a  good  cause,  and  Christians 
ought  to  be  ready  to  lay  down  their  lives  for  the  brethren,  as  Christ  did.  I  do  not 
call  on  you  to  avenge  my  death,  in  case  that  you  should  hear  that  my  head  has  been 
struck  off;  but  remember  one  thing — that  200,000  Persian  slaves  are  sighing  in  the 
kingdom  of  Bokhara. 

Philanthropists  of  Europe !  make  one  grand  attempt,  in  ransoming  them,  to  carry 
at  the  same  time  the  light  of  pure  religion  and  civilization  to  the  land  of  Timur  and 
Ghengis  Khan,  and  my  bones  in  the  grave  shall  shout  that  I  was  thus  the  humble 
instrument  in  rousing  you,  Philanthropists  of  Europe,  to  carry  your  benevolent  ex- 
ertions from  Europe  to  the  Oxus. 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

There  fell  at  Kalja  an  unusual  quantity  of  snow,  which  prevented 
us  from  stirring  out  that  day.  This  was  an  unusual  occurrence  in 
the  month  of  April  in  these  regions.  A  Turkomaun  in  the  tent 
showed  to  me  a  whole  bag  of  Greek  and  Arabic  coins.  It  is  remark- 
able to  hear  these  Turkomauns  speak  of  the  exploits  of  Alexander 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  177 

and  Timur,  exactly  as  if  of  modern  occurrence.     One  of  the  TQrko- 
mauns,  striking  upon  the  ground  with  his  hand,  said,  "  Here  it  was 
that  Timur  the  Kurikan  was  born  (as  Tamerlane  is  called  there). 
Timur  Kurikan  passed  here  to  punish  the  Khan  of  Kharasm,  i.  e. 
Organtsh,  and  how  severely  did  he  punish  him.     He  made  a  pyra- 
mid at  Organtsh,  entirely  of  sculls  of  men,  cemented  with  clay.     He 
spared  the  lives  of  none,  except  those  of  holy  derveeshes,  of  the 
learned,  and  of  poets,  around  whose  houses  he  placed  Karawl,  i.  e. 
guards.     He  was  nine  times  in  the  desert  of  Mowr,  nine  times  he 
returned  in  triumph  to  Samarcand.     He  had  white  hair  from  his 
childhood,  and  by  his  strength  of  body  he  could  have  slain  a  Rustam, 
and  was  endued  with  such  a  strength  of  mind  that  he  never  wept. 
He  so  much  loved  the  truth,  that  when  some  person  told  him  a  lie 
with  the  intention  of  pleasing  him,  he  cut  him  to  pieces ;  and  when 
a  person  told  him  a  truth,  though  disagreeable,  he  rewarded  him  with 
gold.     At  the  death  of  his  son,  whom  he  tenderly  loved,  he  lifted  up 
his  eye  towards  heaven,  and  said  the  word  of  the  Koran,  '  We  are  of 
God,  and  to  God  we  shall  return.'  "    Then  another  Turkomaun  turned 
to  me,  and  said,  "  He  also  came  on  to  your  country,  Joseph  Wolff, 
(i.  e.  the  land  of  Room,  Turkey,)  where  he  made  a  prisoner  of  Bay- 
azid,  and  brought  him  in  a  cage  to  Samarcand.     He  was  only  once 
wounded,  and  this  was  in  the  country  of  Sistan,  which  made  him 
lame,  and  for  which  reason  he  received  the  name  of  Timur-Lank, 
t.  e.  Timur  the  Lame.     The  gardens  which  he  made  at  Samarcand 
were  innumerable,  and  his  court  was  filled  with  the  learned  from  the 
country  of  Ghatay,  with  the   fakeers  of  Hindustaun,  and  with  the 
scholars  from  Room.     Jews  and  Guebers,  Cossacks,  and  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  land  of  Russ,  became  his  guests.     The  man  was  born  at 
Shahr-Sabz,  and  was  on  his  way  to  Ghatay  to  conquer  the  whole  land 
of  Cheen-Pa-Cheen,  when  Fate  decreed  otherwise.    He  died  at  Atraw, 
but  he  is  buried  at  Samarcand,  in  a  splendid  tomb."     Mullah  Seffey, 
the  Jew  present,  said,  "  Our  ancestors,  whom  he  much  loved,  and  for 
which  they  were  rewarded  by  God  with  so  much  power,  believed  him 
to  be  the  Messiah ;  and  when  he  returned  to  Samarcand  they  went  to 
meet  him  with  the  Sepher  Torah  in  their  hands,  and  palms  in  the 
other,  and  we  sang,  «  We  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord,  save  us  !     We  be- 
seech  Thee,  O  Lord,  we  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord,  prosper  us  !' ' 

Then  one  of  the  derveeshes  present  in  the  tent  began  to  speak  about 
Nadir  Shah,  the  son  of  a  pelisse-maker,  who  became  mighty  in  battle, 
and  a  tiger  in  war.  He  was  at  Mowr,  and  marched  towards  Hind. 
He  sent  six  thousand  people  on  to  Rafitak  to  dig  wells.  He  had  num- 
bered the  number  of  Turkomauns,  and  a  regular  census  of  the  inhab- 

23 


178  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

itants  was  established  in  every  country  he  traversed.  The  tribe  of 
Salor  in  the  camp  of  Yolatan,  (six  miles  from  Mowr,)  were  his  great 
friends,  and  he  gave  sums  of  gold  to  the  Turkomauns ;  on  which  ac- 
count they  assisted  him  in  his  march  ;  and  one  of  the  other  Turko- 
mauns  said,  "  Thus  the  English  must  do  as  Nadir  Shah  did,  when 
they  want  to  conquer  Khiva  and  Bokhara  ;  they  must  feed  us  Turk- 
omauns. We  care  rot  who  rules  ;  we  are  always  with  the  stronger 
party." 

From  Kalja  we  arrived  at  Rafitak.  We  were  three  days  without 
water  until  we  arrived  there.  There  are  in  this  place  four  wells, 
two  wells  with  bitter  water,  and  two  wells  with  sweet,  but  they  are 
extremely  deep,  full  forty  feet,  which  the  Turkomauns  fill  up  with 
sand  and  stone.  When  we  approached  Rafitak  we  heard  from  some 
stragglers  the  fearful  rumour  that  the  people  of  Khiva  were  in  the 
neighbourhood,  and  marching  with  six  thousand  men  towards  Merw. 
When  Ameer  Sarog  and  Kaher  Kouli,  rriy  Turkomaun  companions, 
ieard  this  report,  they  said,  "  Allah,  Allah,  Allah,  this  will  make  the 
tents  of  Merw  tremble  ;"  which  reminded  me  of  the  words  in  Habak- 
kuk,  "  The  tents  of  Kushan  tremble."  But  fortunately  the  Khivites 
did  not  come  that  day,  but  came  to  Rafitak  two  days  after,  and  smote 
the  caravan  that  succeeded  ours ;  and  I  heard  after,  in  a  letter  from 
the  AssafF-ood-Dowla,  which  I  received  at  Bokhara,  that  the  rumour 
had  spread  throughout  Khorassaun,  that  I  had  been  killed  by  the  peo- 
ple of  Khiva,  which  had  induced  His  Highness  to  send  an  express 
courier  to  Sarakhs  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  that  report. 

From  this  place,  annoyed  with  every  inconvenience  that  the  knavery 
of  Dil  Assa  Khan  could  throw  in  my  way,  I  reached  Jehaar-Joo. 
Besides  all  this  I  was  both  amused  and  annoyed  by  that  fool  and  knave, 
Ameer  Sarog, — so  named  because  he  was  born  on  the  same  day  as 
the  former  Ameer  of  Bokhara.  That  silly  fellow,  though  above  sixty 
years  of  age,  was  daily  weeping  and  lamenting  his  disappointment  in 
love.  He  said,  "  I  have  three  wives,  and  I  wish  to  have  a  fourth,  and 
I  could  have  succeeded  in  marrying  her,  if  my  other  wives  had  not 
intrigued,  and  if  the  parents  of  that  beautiful  woman  had  not  demanded 
such  a  sum  for  her.  I  at  last  shall  be  obliged  to  hang  myself."  This 
horrid  fellow  murdered  a  merchant  in  his  house,  and  robbed  him  of 
all  his  property.  Dil  Assa  Khan,  and  the  villains  that  accompanied 
him,  took  from  me  by  force  the  tea  and  sugar  and  provisions  which  I 
had  taken  with  me  from  Meshed,  and  sold  them  to  the  people  of  the 
caravan.  They  compelled  me  to  give  them  money  for  purchasing 
sheep  and  other  victuals,  which  they  pocketed.  From  Sarakhs  I  sent 
another  Turkomaun  expressly  to  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla  to  recall  Dil 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA.  179 

Assa  Khan.  A  second  horseman  reached  us,  after  our  arrival  at 
Merwe,  threatening  Dil  Assa  Khan  that  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  would 
destroy  his  house  and  imprison  his  family  if  he  did  not  behave 
better.  His  Excellency  wrote  that  it  was  too  late  to  recall  him,  and 
that  he  would  be  of  great  use  to  me  at  Bokhara,  and  sent  me  a  copy 
of  the  letter  he  had  written  to  him.  This  Dil  Assa  Khan  being  a 
Merwee  and  a  Sunnee,  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  thought  would  be  of  use 
to  me  at  Bokhara.  These  Merwees  are  a  most  villainous  tribe,  noto- 
rious, even  among  Turkomauns,  for  avarice,  faithlessness,  and  treach- 
ery. They  are  very  numerous  in  Bokhara,  and  are  descendants  of 
Ghengis  Khan.  This  fellow,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  was  in  the  service  of 
Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  who  was  the  vizier  of  the  King  of  Heraut, 
infamous  in  repute  as  a  man-seller.  I  will  now  add  a  few  particulars 
about  his  master,  Yar  Muhammed  Khan. 

Shah  Kamran,  of  the  Saddoo-Szeye,  the  royal  dynasty  of  Affgha- 
nistaun,  was  King  at  Heraut.  His  vizier  and  fac-totum  was  Yar  Mu- 
hammed Khan,  an  Affghaun,  a  man  of  extraordinary  talent,  but  the 
worst  of  characters — a  drunkard,  a  liar,  and  a  slave-seller.  Shah 
Kamran  was  an  imbecile.  When  Muhammed  Shah  besieged  Heraut, 
he  courted  the  English  government,  and  treated  with  great  politeness 
Pottinger  and  Darcy  Todd  and  Colonel  Stoddart.  But  as  soon  as 
Muhammed  Shah  had  raised  the  siege,  he  entered  into  a  treaty  with 
the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  at  Meshed,  and  threatened  Darcy  Todd  with 
death  if  he  did  not  give  him  an  immense  sum  of  money.  Only  two 
years  ago,  he  most  cruelly  put  to  death  his  royal  benefactor  and  master 
Shah  Kamran.  He  now  spends  his  days  and  nights  in  revellings,  and 
in  order  to  make  himself  popular  among  the  Affghauns  at  Heraut,  he 
has  permitted  them  to  make  and  drink  wine.  Bands  of  dancing  girls 
dance  before  him  whole  days,  and  he  has  lately  contracted  an  alliance 
by  marriage  with  Dost  Muhammed  Khan,  the  Ameer  of  Cabul,  and 
Kohandil  Khan  of  Candahar.  To  give  a  further  idea  of  his  treach- 
erous character,  I  just  mention  that  he  wrote  to  me  a  most  polite  letter 
promising  to  send  on  my  account  an  express  Ambassador  to  the  Ameer 
of  Bokhara,  in  order  that  his  majesty  might  send  me  back  to  my  country 
with  honour,  instead  of  which,  he  sent  three  Ambassadors  to  Bokhara, 
advising  the  Ameer  to  put  me  to  death.  Now,  of  this  Yar  Muham- 
med Khan,  Dil  Assa  Khan  was  the  servant.  He  had  escaped  from 
Muhammed  Khan,  and  went  over  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  The 
Assaff-ood-Dowla  had  taken  him  into  his  service,  and  given  him  the 
village  of  Nasarieh  for  his  possession,  and  made  him  there  Chief  of 
the  Merwee.  Even  with  all  this  hold  upon  him,  the  rascality  in  his 
nature  was  so  strong  that  he  was  incessantly  committing  some  act  of 


180  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

villainy ;  at  one  time  hiring  camels  and  charging  them  to  me,  at 
another  a  kajava  or  palanqueen  bound  on  the  camel.  Mullah  Mehdee 
wanted  to  engage  them,  by  way  of  check  against  him,  of  the  Kafila 
Bashi  or  caravan  leader.  But  Dil  Assa  Khan  said  the  caravan  would 
be  too  slow  for  us,  and  produced  three  camels  of  his  own,  for  which  I 
was  obliged  to  pay  double  the  price  of  camels.  Eight  Merwees,  amid 
them  a  fellow  named  Ismael,  that  accompanied  him,  seemed  to  vie 
with  each  other  in  villainy.  At  Mastron,  sixty  miles  from  Meshed, 
where  a  horseman  reached  me  from  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  and  proved 
a  momentary  check  on  their  rapacity,  the  instant  after  he  had  quitted, 
Dil  Assa  Khan  and  Ismael  actually  unloaded  one  of  the  camels  where 
my  baggage  was,  put  it  on  one  of  the  camels  of  the  caravan  leader, 
with  the  promise  to  him  that  I  should  pay  him  for  it,  and  loaded  my 
camel,  hired  of  Dil  Assa  Khan  himself,  with  the  merchandize  of  that 
villain. 

I  have  mentioned  that  one  of  my  servants,  Rajab,  expressed  a  fear 
at  accompanying  me  beyond  Mowr,  and  remained  there.  Hussein 
and  Abdullah,  however,  followed  me.  The  Khaleefa  of  Mowr  had 
sent  on  two  other  Turkomauns  with  me  of  the  tribe  of  Sarog.  Both 
behaved  exceedingly  well  on  the  journey  through  the  desert,  and  the 
Turkomauns  against  whom  I  had  taken  Dil  Assa  Khan  as  a  protection, 
became  a  protection  to  me  against  him.  Thus  did  we  reach  Jehaar- 
Joo,  the  first  place  in  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara's  dominions. 

Jehaar-Joo  means  Four  Wells.  It  was  a  place  of  considerable  im- 
portance, with  about  twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  fourteen  years  ago. 
But  the  continued  invasion  and  depredation  of  the  people  of  Khiva 
has  reduced  the  inhabitants  to  about  two  thousand,  who  live  in  contin- 
ual consternation.  They  have  a  fortress — a  castle  ;  but  the  Usbecks 
cannot  make  use  of  artillery,  and  the  Ameer  is  afraid  of  sending 
Persian  slaves  thither,  who  have  learned  the  art  of  artillery  under  his 
Lieutenant,  Abdul  Samut  Khan.  And  he  even  would  not  trust  Abdul 
Samut  Khan  by  sending  him  to  Jehaar-Joo,  for  fear  of  his  being  bribed 
by  the  Persians. 

From  that  place  I  sent  on  a  letter  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  and  de- 
livered another  to  the  Governor  of  Jehaar-Joo,  detailing  the  object  of 
my  mission. 

To  the  Most  Powerful  and  Renowned  Ameer  of  the  Believers,  the  King  of 
Bokhara,  Ameer  Nasir  Utlah  Behadur  :  God  preserve  him. 

Be  it  known  to  Your  Majesty,  that  I,  Joseph  Wolff,  am  the  well-known  Der- 
veesh  of  the  Christians  in  England,  who  have  traversed  Syria,  Persia,  Egypt, 
Mesopotamia,  Yemen,  and  Hindustaun;  and  have  enjoyed  the  friendship  of 
Muhammed  Ali,  Pasha  of  Egypt,  the  Sheikh  Islam  of  Stamboul,  Akbar  Shah  of 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  181 

Drlhi,  the  Khaleefa  of  Mowr,  M uhammed  Shah  Nakshbandee  at  Cashmeer,  the 
Great  Moursheed  of  Turkistaun,  of  Abbas  Mirza  of  Persia,  and  of  the  present 
Shah  of  Persia.  I  have  also  been  at  Bokhara  twelve  years  ago,  where,  after  re- 
ceiving the  hospitality  of  Your  Majesty  for  more  than  a  month,  I  set  out  with  a 
gracious  passport  from  Your  Majesty  to  the  following  purport.  "  The  High  Decree 
has  gone  forth,  that  Joseph  Wolff,  the  Englishman,  should  return  to  his  country, 
and  that  on  his  way  through  these  dominions  nobody  should  lay  any  impediment  in 
his  way  on  entering  or  quitting  any  place.  He  that  readeth  this,  lei  him  hear  and 
obey."  And  obeyed  it  was ;  for  Your  Majesty's  command  is  powerful,  since  I  was 
well  received  at  Balkh  and  at  Masaur.  4 

Now  again  I  am  about  to  enter  Bokhara,  in  order  to  claim  Colonel  Stoddart  and 
Captain  Conolly,  of  whom  it  is  reported  in  England,  Russia,  Germany,  and  America, 
that  Your  Majesty  has  put  them  to  death.  But  I,  knowing  the  hospitality  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Bokhara,  did  not  believe  it ;  and  therefore  I  shall  petition  Your 
Majesty  on  my  arrival  there,  to  send  both  gentlemen  with  me  to  England,  in  order 
that  the  commotion  may  subside  which  now  exists  throughout  Europe,  and  that 
strict  friendship  may  be  established  between  Your  Majesty  and  the  British  Govern- 
ment. Should  they  have  been  put  to  death  on  account  of  some  misdemeanour  on 
their  part,  I  beg  Your  Majesty  to  state  to  me  the  cause,  and  to  deliver  to  me  their 
bones,  in  order  that  they  may  be  buried  in  their  own  land.  For  Your  Majesty  must 
know  that  I  have  been  the  Moorsheed  of  Conolly,  and  Conolly  was  my  Murreed. 

I  am  Your  Majesty's  humble  servant, 

J.  W. 

The  Khaleefa  of  Mowr  had  also  stated  that  Dil  Assa  Khan  was 
merely  sent  by  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla  to  Bokhara  on  my  account.  That 
villain,  however,  had  the  effrontery,  without  informing  me,  to  send  a 
message  to  the  Governor  of  Jehaar-Joo,  purporting  that  he  was  an 
Ambassador  from  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  for 
the  purpose  of  offering  the  Ameer  assistance  in  his  war  with  the  Khan 
of  Khiva.  He  had  even  the  impudence  to  say  that  he  was  in  no  way 
connected  with  me,  but  came  for  quite  a  different  object.  I  picked  up 
this  piece  of  intelligence  from  Kouli,  his  own  servant,  and  several  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Jehaar-Joo  confirmed  it,  as  also  the  Governor  him- 
self; but  he,  by  the  provident  care  of  that  great  man,  the  Khaleefa 
of  Mowr,  was  fortunately  apprized  of  the  real  facts  of  the  case,  and 
had  learnt  from  him  that  Dil  Assa  Khan  was  my  servant,  and  that  he 
was  sent  forwards  for  the  sole  object  of  protecting  me  by  the  Assaff- 
ood-Dowla.  From  the  Governor  of  Jehaar-Joo,  I  consequently  ex- 
perienced every  kindness. 

I  was  here  also  visited  by  Jews  from  Bokhara ;  and,  most  remark- 
able, the  same  Jews  whom  I  met  at  Jehaar-Joo,  twelve  years  before. 
They  expressed  a  very  great  joy  to  see  me  again  well.  And  after  the 
Usbecks  had  left  my  tent,  the  Jews  spoke  to  me  in  the  following  man- 
ner :  "  Joseph  Wolff,  Joseph  Wolff,  Joseph  Wolff,  you  are  a  son  of 
Death  as  soon  as  you  enter  Bokhara.  For  God's  sake  do  not  enter ; 


182  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

there  is  still  time  to  retrace  your  steps ;  this  night  we  will  fly  with 
you  to  Organtsh,  or  send  a  man  with  you  to  Organtsh,  with  one  of 
our  friends.  The  King  of  Organtsh  is  a  friend  to  England,  and  to 
Conolly,  but  for  God's  sake  do  not  go  on  to  Bokhara.  Stoddart  has 
been  put  to  death ;  Conolly  also  ;  and  some  years  before  both  of  them, 
Lieutenant  Wyburt,  who  was  on  his  way  to  Khiva,  but  was  brought 
to  Bokhara  and  put  in  prison  there,  and  some  years  after  his  throat 
was  cut ;  and  five  other  Englishmen  have  been  put  to  death  at  the 
Gate  of  Jehaar-Joo,  only  ten  months  ago.  Poor  Conolly,  poor  Con- 
oily,  poor  Conolly  was  dragged  to  the  place  of  execution.  His  words 
were,  '  Wail,  wail,  wail ;  Kee  aftadam  bedaste  SZAALEM.'  '  Woe  to 
me,  woe  to  me,  woe  to  me,  that  I  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  Ty- 
rant.' J:  This  very  fact  of  his  exclaiming  thus  was  told  me  previously 
by  Mullah  Nathan,  the  Jew,  when  at  Merwe.  I  however  replied  to 
them,  "  I  shall  go  on,  I  must  be  more  certain  as  to  this  object."  A 
derveesh  entered  my  tent  at  this  instant,  who  was  considered  to  stand 
in  immediate  communication  with  God,  and  he  had  the  title  Baba. 
He  said  to  me,  "  Go  on,  and  prosper." 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  183 


CHAPTER  X. 

Arrival  at  Karakol.  Dr.  Wolff  is  abandoned  by  his  Servants.  Motives  for  the  con- 
duct of  Dil  Assa  Khan.  Shahr  Islam.  Shouts  of  Populace  on  Route.  Descrip- 
tion of  Usbekistaun.  Kaffer  Seeah  Poosh.  Their  Language ;  Worship ;  Dress. 
Reception  of  Dr.  Wolff  on  entering  into  Bokhara.  Roofs  of  Houses  thronged. 
Thousands  to  witness  the  entry  into  the  City.  Bible  held  open  in  his  hand; 
brought  up  to  the  King.  Interview  with  the  Makhram.  Inquiry  whether  he 
would  comply  with  the  Ceremonies  used  in  Presentation  to  Ameer ;  assents  to 
them.  Ordered  to  send  up  Letters ;  sends  Letters  from  Sultan,  Shah,  Haje,  Count 
Medem,  Sheikh  Islam,  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  Dr.  Wolff  and  Dil  Assa  Khan  intro- 
duced to  the  King  of  Bokhara.  The  King  thinks  Dr.  Wolff  an  extraordinary  Per- 
sonage. Person  of  the  King.  History  of  Ameer ;  gains  the  Throne  by  Hakim 
Beyk ;  murders  all  his  five  Brothers  except  Omar  Khan.  Dr.  Wolff  meets  Omar 
Khan  a  Fugitive  in  the  Desert  of  Mowr,  who  is  there  recognised  by  a  Derveesh. 
Omar  Khan  shares  the  fate  of  his  Brethren,  and  dies  in  battle  against  Behadur 
Khan.  Ameer  supposed  also  to  have  murdered  his  Father.  History  of  Hakim 
Beyk  ;  becomes  Goosh  Bekee  ;  raises  the  Character  of  the  Nation  ;  supplanted 
in  King's  favour  by  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  whom  he  had  raised  from  a  low  station. 
Imprisonment  of  Lieutenant  Wyburt ;  the  Goosh  Bekee  intercedes  for  him ;  the 
King  promises  to  reform.  Doctrine  of  Passive  Obedience  and  Non-resistance  laid 
down  by  the  Reis ;  the  Ameer  acts  on  it.  People  believe  that  the  King  can  do 
no  Wrong  ;  seizes  Wives  of  his  Subjects.  Goosh  Bekee  resists  ;  is  exiled  ;  recall- 
ed ;  and  executed. 

I  PROCEEDED,  I  own,  with  considerable  misgiving  from  Jehaar-Joo 
to  Karakol,  where  rooms  were  assigned  me  by  the  Governor  by  order 
of  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  and  proper  provision  sent  for  me.  Here, 
also,  that  execrable  villain,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  called,  without  my  knowl- 
edge, on  Hussein  Khan,  Governor  of  Karakol,  a  man  of  probity  and 
mercy,  whom  I  knew  in  my  former  journey  into  Bokhara,  in  the  year 
1832.  I  was  asleep  from  the  fatigues  of  the  journey,  when  Dil  Assa 
Khan  called  on  Hussein  Khan.  When  I  awoke  in  the  morning,  I 
called  out  for  my  servants.  After  a  considerable  time,  Abdullah  ap- 
peared, and  said,  "  Ameer  Sarog  and  Kaher  Kouli  have  left  you,  and 
I  also  cannot  any  longer  be  servant  to  you  ;  and  I  have  eaten  dung, 
because  I  came  with  you.  I  can  no  longer  be  your  servant."  He 
then  seized  his  bag  and  went  off.  At  last  Hussein,  the  other  servant, 
appeared,  and  said,  "  I  shall  stand  by  you."  This  man  was  a  rogue, 
but  was  not  devoid  of  that  kind  of  affectionate  spirit  I  have  noted  in 
some  very  depraved  men,  which  leads  me  to  imagine  that  had  that 


184  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

tendency  been  oftener  watched  and  fostered  into  fuller  growth,  the 
character  itself  might  have  become  essentially  changed.  Hussein  had 
been  my  servant  in  1832,  from  Meshed  to  Bokhara  and  Cabul,  and 
had  witnessed  the  Providence  that  God  had  extended  over  me,  when 
they  wanted  to  burn  me  at  Doo-Ab,  near  But-Bamian.  His  abiding 
with  me  brought  back  Abdullah,  but  I  noticed  that  both  the  Turko- 
mauns,  Ameer  Sarog,  and  Kaher  Kooli,  went  always  from  this  time 
with  Dil  Assa  Khan  and  his  servants,  and  both  Abdullah  and  Hus- 
sein exhibited  considerable  signs  of  alarm,  although  they  remained 
with  me. 

Kooli,  the  servant  of  Dil  Assa  Khan,  soon  gave  me  the  key  to  this 
mystery.  Dil  Assa  Khan  had  been  with  the  Governor  of  Karakol, 
closeted  for  some  time,  and  had  been  informed  by  him  that  Colonel 
Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  had  been  killed,  and  also  several  other 
Europeans,  and  that  he  entertained  little  doubt  that  I  should  share 
their  fate,  since  the  Ameer  now  evidently  looked  upon  all  Europeans 
as  spies,  and  would  execute  them  accordingly ;  that  he  doubted  not 
that  the  instant  I  reached  Bokhara  I  should  be  beheaded.  Dil  Assa 
Khan  instantly  possessed  the  Turkomauns  with  all  these  circumstances, 
told  his  own  servants  also,  and  advised  mine  to  abandon  me,  to  look 
out  for  their  own  safety,  and  to  join  him.  I  have  no  doubt,  also,  that 
this  villain  had  pondered  over  in  his  mind  three  states  of  circumstances 
that  might  arise.  The  first,  and  to  him  the  most  probable,  for  his  con- 
duct evinced  his  belief,  was,  that  I  should  be  executed  on  the  instant 
of  my  arrival.  He  therefore  determined  to  divest  himself  of  all  im- 
plication as  one  of  my  suite.  The  second,  that  I  might  so  represent 
his  conduct  at  Bokhara,  supposing  that  I  succeeded  in  saving  my  life, 
as  to  get  him  into  very  serious  difficulty.  The  third  and  last,  and  for 
this  he  was  prepared  by  a  short  cut,  as  we  shall  subsequently  show, 
to  obviate  that  position,  that  on  my  return  I  might  urge  the  AssafF- 
ood-Dowla  to  punish  him,  as  he  well  knew  that  he  deserved,  for  his 
robbery,  lies,  and  treachery  to  me.  Dil  Assa  Khan  prepared  himself 
for  all  circumstances,  and  he  also  expected  to  extort  from  me  a  large 
sum  of  money. 

Perceiving  this  state  of  circumstances,  while  we  were  leaving  Ka- 
rakol, and  on  the  road  to  Shahr  Islam  ;  (Shahr  Islam  is  the  place 
where  formerly  Afrasiab,  the  famous  king  in  Persian  history,  in  an. 
cient  time  resided,  and  also  where  Islamism  was  first  introduced,  it  is 
eight  miles  from  Bokhara ;)  I  said  to  Dil  Assa  Khan,  "  I  now  fully 
perceive  that  you  have  acted,  do  act,  and  will  continue  to  act,  the 
traitor.  Be  cautious ;  I  warn  you,  the  consequences  will  alight  on 
your  own  head.'3 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA.  185 

D.  A.  K.  (sneering).  Both  of  your  folks  (Kavvm)  are  killed,  Stod- 
dart  and  Conolly. 

W.  And,  in  consequence,  you  will  play  traitor  ? 

D.  A.  K.    How  much  money  will  you  give  me  to  do  your  work  ? 

W.  Not  a  single  pool,  i.  e.  penny. 

When,  however,  I  reached  Shahr  Islam,  the  King's  chamberlain 
(Makhram)  was  sent  to  welcome  me,  not  Dil  Assa  Khan,  and  sweet- 
meats were  sent  for  me,  and  the  Makhram  brought  me,  in  the  King's 
name,  the  assurance  of  His  Majesty's  good  will  towards  me.  The 
scene  then  became  suddenly  changed.  Both  the  Turkomauns, 
Ameer  Sarog  and  Kaher  Kooli,  diminished  the  distance  between  us. 
I  was  dressed  in  full  canonicals  the  entire  distance  from  Mowr  to 
Bokhara,  being  determined  never  to  lose  sight  of  my  position  as  mul- 
lah, on  which  alone  'my  safety  depended,  I  soon  perceived.  I  also 
kept  the  Bible  open  in  my  hand ;  I  felt  my  power  was  in  the  Book, 
and  that  its  might  would  sustain  me.  The  uncommon  character  of 
these  proceedings  attracted  crowds  from  Shahr  Islam  to  Bokhara,  all 
which  was  favourable  to  me,  since  if  I  was  doomed  to  death,  it  would 
be  widely  known,  and  the  consequences  might  be  even  serious  to  the 
Ameer  himself,  of  interfering  with  a  sacred  character,  armed  with 
the  Book  of  Mousa,  and  David,  and  Jesus,  protected  by  the  word  of 
the  Khaleefa  of  Mowr,  supported  by  the  Sultan,  the  Shah  of  Persia, 
the  Russian  Ambassador,  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  both  by  word  and 
letters,  and  the  popular  principle  among  the  Mussulmans,  as  testified 
on  my  route,  in  shouts  of  "  Selaam  Aleikoom,"  "  Peace  be  with 
you." 

The  Turkomauns  my  guides  were  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the  word 
masterless,  for  their  Aga  Sakals,  "  Lords  with  the  Beard,"  have  only 
a  right  to  give  advice,  and  to  conduct  them  on  their  plundering  expe- 
ditions, but  they  have  no  power  to  punish. 

This  country  of  Usbekistaun  is  filled  with  beautifully- watered  and 
cultivated  valleys.  Here  we  find  the  Great  Bokhara,  in  contradis- 
tinction to  Little  Bokhara  ;  from  34°  to  42°  north  latitude,  and  from 
80°  to  92°  east  longitude,  it  extends  in  different  directions.  It  bor- 
ders towards  the  south-west  from  the  desert  Khawar  towards  Iraun  ; 
from  the  river  Amoo  to  the  territory  of  Balkh,  towards  the  southern 
Affghanistaun,  through  the  high  galleries  of  mountains  to  the  Hindoo 
Kush,  it  borders  on  the  southern  provinces  of  China. 

Since  the  expulsion  of  the  Turks  or  Tatars  the  Usbecks  are  the 
dominant  people.  Sheybek  Khan  brought  them  to  the  country  of  the 
river  Amoo,  in  the  year  1498,  when  they  had  the  centre  of  their  em, 
pire  at  Organtsh,  in  Khiva.  They  spread  death  and  destruction  over 

24 


186  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

the  whole  of  Turkistaun,  as  far  as  Iraun.  The  celebrated  Murad  or 
Beggi  Jan  raised  the  nation  of  the  Usbecks.  Incessant  wars  with 
Persia  and  Cabal  have  sometimes  extended  the  empire  as  far  as 
Merve,  Heraut,  and  Balkh ;  and  sometimes  it  has  been  reduced  to 
its  former  limits.  The  Usbecks  are  Mussulmans,  rough  and  uncul- 
tivated ;  but  the  Tatshick,  the  original  inhabitants,  are  more  civilized. 
The  Usbecks  live  mostly  on  cattle,  whilst  the  Tatshick  are  merchants. 
The  Tatshick  are  the  Armenians  of  Turkistaun  ;  they  are  merchants 
and  brokers ;  their  language  is  the  Persian.  The  Tatshick  are  ex- 
ceedingly  deceitful.  The  people  of  Khokand  are  proud  and  effemi- 
nate, but  friends  of  Europeans  ;  the  women  chaste,  but  men  given  to 
vice  ;  fond  of  music  and  of  hunting,  and  of  cheerful  temper.  The 
inhabitants  of  Marghilaan  are  a  quiet,  inoffensive,  and  agreeable  peo- 
ple. The  Kaffer  Seeah-Poosh  are  pagans.  They  are  believed,  as  I 
have  said,  by  some  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  army  of  Alexander 
the  Great ;  their  women  are  beautiful,  and  celebrated  in  Asia  ;  their 
dialect  seems  to  be  derived  from  the  Sanscrit,  as  some  of  the  following 
words  may  prove : 

Imra  ---...        God 

Dagoon  -------  God. 

Terekam God. 

Tata Father. 

Yeh Mother. 

Manash  -------  Man. 

Amatesan Village. 

Ama House. 

Geda Horse. 

They  worship  their  ancestors.  Their  idols  are  of  wood  and  stone, 
to  whom  sacrifices  are  offered  by  the  hereditary  priesthood.  They 
also  have  magicians.  They  consider  fish  as  unclean.  Polygamy  is 
practised  among  them.  They  are  deadly  foes  to  the  Muhammedans. 
They  are  sociable,  cheerful,  and  passionate.  Dancing,  with  musical 
instruments  and  drums,  forms  part  of  their  amusements.  Hospitality 
and  vengeance  of  blood  belong  to  their  religious  principles.  The 
men  wear  a  shirt,  and  over  it  a  black  goat's  skin,  for  which  they  are 
called  Seeah-poosh,  black  clothed.  .  The  women  wear  only  one  shirt, 
and  their  heads  are  covered  with  silver  ornaments.  A  red  tiara  dis- 
tinguishes the  maidens.  They  live  on  cattle,  fruit,  (walnuts,  apples, 
grapes,  and  apricots,)  and  good  wine.  Their  domiciles  are  of  wood, 
with  subterranean  chambers ;  utensils  according  to  European  fashion, 
as  chairs,  tables,  and  bedding.  They  have  daggers  and  fire-arms. 
A  wealthy  Seeah-Poosh  possesses  eight  hundred  goats,  three  hundred 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  187 

oxen,  and  eight  slaves.  Their  number  amounts  to  ninety  tnousand. 
Upon  the  height  of  Badagshaun  are  four  free  tribes  of  Israel ;  those 
of  Naphthali,  Dan,  Zebulon,  and  Ashur. 

My  villain  escort,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  then  came  up  to  me  and  said, 
"  You  ought  to  enter  Bokhara  dressed  as  a  poor  man."  I  replied, 
"  Villain,  liar,  and  man-seller,  (for  strong  terms  alone  are  effective 
in  the  East,)  leave  me.  The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  will  assuredly  put 
you  to  death  when  we  reach  Meshed."  Dil  Assa  Khan  turned  deadly 
pale.  Shouts  of  "  Selaam  Aleikoom"  from  thousands  rang  upon  my 
ear.  It  was  a  most  astonishing  sight ;  people  from  the  roofs  of  the 
houses,  the  Nogay  Tatars  of  Russia,  the  Cassacks  and  Girghese  from 
the  deserts,  the  Tatar  from  Yarkarid  or  Chinese  Tartary,  the  mer- 
chant of  Cashmeer,  the  Serkerdeha  or  Grandees  of  the  King  on  horse- 
back, the  Affghauns,  the  numerous  water-carriers,  stopped  still  and 
looked  at  me ;  Jews  with  their  little  caps,  the  distinguishing  badge 
of  the  Jews  of  Bokhara,  the  inhabitants  of  Khokand,  politely  smiling 
at  me  ;  and  the  mullahs  from  Chekarpoor  and  Sinde  looking  at  me 
and  saying,  "  Inglese  Saib ;"  veiled  women  screaming  to  each  other, 
"  Englees  Eljee,  English  Ambassador ;"  others  coming  by  them  and 
saying,  "  He  is  not  an  Eljee,  but  the  Grand  Derveesh,  Derveesh  Ke- 
laun,  of  Englistaun." 

My  addresses  had  been  circulated  throughout  all  the  parts  of  Per- 
sia, Turkistaun,  and  Bokhara  ;  my  object  had  become  widely  under- 
stood,  and  I  doubtless  reaped  the  fruit  of  making  the  object  of  my 
mission  thus  clear  and  intelligible  to  all  the  Mussulman  world.  Amid 
the  continued  shouts  of  "  Selaam  Aleikoom,"  I  looked  closely  among 
the  populace,  in  the  hope  that  I  might  recognise  Stoddart  or  Conolly. 
It  was  vain. 

Before  we  were  carried  to  our  assigned  quarters,  we  were  brought 
what  they  emphatically  call  "  Bala,"  up  to  the  palace  of  the  King. 
This  is  situated  on  a  lofty  eminence.  When  we  reached  it,  the  Ser- 
kerdeha, i.  e.  the  Grandees  of  the  Empire,  were  just  leaving  it,  riding 
upon  horseback.  The  people  crowded  in  masses  on  me,  demanding, 
"  What  book  have  you  in  your  hand  ?"  I  replied,  "  The  T&wrat-e- 
Moosa  (Laws  of  Moses),  the  Saboor-e-Dawood  (Psalms  of  David), 
and  the  Anjeel-e-Esau  (Gospel  of  Christ),  and  the  Prophecies  of  Dan- 
iel, Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  Jeremiah,  &c."  Devoutly  did  those  poor  unen- 
lightened souls  touch  the  Book.  At  the  entrance  of  the  palace  gate 
we  were  ordered  to  dismount  from  our  horses.  Only  the  Grandees 
of  the  Empire,  and  Ambassadors  of  the  Sultan  of  Constantinople,  of 
the  Shah  of  Persia,  should  they  come  to  Bokhara,  are  permitted  to 
enter  the  palace  gates  on  horseback.  No  Christian,  Heathen,  or  any 


188  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

other  Ambassador  is  allowed  that  privilege.  Singular  to  say,  how- 
ever,  I  was  allowed  this  privilege  at  my  audience  of  leave,  prior  to 
my  departure  from  Bokhara. 

Previous  to  our  entrance,  one  of  His  Majesty's  Makhrams  appeared 
before  me,  and  said,  "  His  Majesty  condescends  to  ask  whether  you 
would  be  ready  to  submit  to  the  mode  of  Selaam,"  (for  Stoddart  Saib 
refused,  and  drew  his  sword.)  I  asked,  "  In  what  does  the  Selaam 
consist  ?"  He  replied,  "  You  are  placed  before  His  Majesty,  who  will 
sit  upon  the  Bala  Hanah,  (from  whence  Balkan  is  derived,)  and  the 
Shekawl  (Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs)  will  take  hold  of  your  shoul- 
ders, and  you  must  stroke  your  beard  three  times,  and  three  times 
bow,  saying  at  each  time,  '  Allah  Akbar,  Allah  Akbar,  Allah  Akbar,' 
— *  God  is  the  greatest,  God  is  the  greatest,  God  is  the  greatest ;'  *  Sa- 
laamat  Padishah,' — «  Peace  to  the  King.' "  On  being  asked  if  I 
would  do  so  three  times,  I  said,  "  Thirty  times,  if  necessary."  En- 
tering the  gate,  we  were  desired  to  sit  down  upon  a  stone  seat,  and  after 
a  few  minutes'  delay  were  ordered  to  send  up  our  letters.  I  sent  the 
following : 

L  Two  letters  from  the  Sultan  The  one  which  the  Sultan  himself  gave  me, 
and  the  other  which  I  found  at  Meshed,  and  which  was  not  forwarded  by  that  vil- 
lain Muhammed  Ali  Serraf. 

2.  A  letter  from  His  Majesty  Muhammed  Shah  of  Persia. 

3.  A  letter  from  Haje  Mirza  Aghassee,  Prime  Minister  to  the  King  of  Persia,  ad- 
dressed to  the  so-called  Vizier  of  the  King  of  Bokhara,  but  who  in  fact  is  nothing 
else  but  the  chief  of  the  custom-house,  and  who  is  not  allowed  to  receive  or  open 
any  letter  without  the  Ameer's  permission. 

4.  A  letter  from  His  Excellency  Count  Medem,  Russian  Ambassador  at  Tehe- 
Taun,  to  the  Ameer  himself. 

5.  A  letter  from  the  Sheikh  al-Islam  of  Constantinople,  to  the  Cazi  Kelaun  (grand 
judge)  of  Bokhara,  for  I  knew  that  none  of  the  dignitaries  of  Bokhara,  not  even  a 
merchant,  are  allowed  to  receive  letters  without  first  of  all  being  perused  by  the 
Ameer. 

6.  Letters  from  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  written  to  myself,  in  which  he  stated  to  me 
that  all  the  presents  he  had  sent  to  the  King  of  Bokhara  were  sent  on  my  account ; 
and  he  further  wrote  to  me,  that  if  Dil  Assa  Khan  should  betray  me  at  Bokhara, 
he  would  burn  his  father. 

7.  A  copy  of  the  letter  sent  by  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  to  Dil  Assa  Khan  himself, 
warning  him  not  to  betray  me. 

Most  of  the  above  letters  have  been  published  in  the  course  of  the 
previous  Narrative,  but  the  letter  to  the  Cazi  Kelaun,  or  Sheikh  Islam 
of  Bokhara,  from  the  Sheikh  Islam  of  Constantinople,  is  so  charac- 
teristic a  document,  that  I  cannot  refrain  from  giving  it  at  full  length. 

O  Asylum  of  Excellence,  O  Loom  of  Knowledge,  the  Master  of  the  art  of 
appreciating  the  worth  of  men  of  science,  the  Possessor  of  deliberateness,  whoso 
customs  are  those  of  sincerity ;  may  He  endure  in  honour ! 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA. 


189 


With  the  offering  of  the  select  of  sweet-smelling  prayers,  and  of  running  fountains 
of  odoriferous  blessings  of  good  odour,  the  friendly  representation  is  this  ;  that  of  the 
officers  of  the  Kingdom  of  England,  a  Colonel  named  Stoddart,  another  officer,  and 
two  or  three  Englishmen  under  safe  conduct,  who  had  gone  to  Bokhara  on  business 
Borne  time  back,  had  been  arrested,  and  imprisoned  by  the  glorious  Government  of 
Bokhara  ;  and  on  account  of  the  request  which  was  formerly  made  on  the  part  of 
the  said  kingdom,  an  august  epistle  containing  (a  request  for)  the  exertion  of  endeav- 
our to  liberate  the  said  persons,  was  issued  and  dispatched  on  the  part  which  unite? 
honour  and  glory,  of  the  asylum  of  the  Caliphate,  His  Majesty,  my  Magnified  Lord, 
the  Royal,  Dread,  Puissant,  and  Great  Emperor  of  the  posterity  of  Osmaun  (may 
God  eternize  Him,  and  fortify  Him  with  His  assistance  unto  the  end  of  time !)  my 
Master,  to  His  Majesty,  the  fortunate,  brave,  and  glorious  Khaun,  (may  God  grant ' 
him  long  life,  with  glory  and  renown !) 

At  this  present  time,  it  has  been  resolved  on  the  part  of  England  to  send  the  es- 
teemed Derveesh  called  Dr.  Wolff  to  gain  information  concerning  the  circumstances 
of  the  said  imprisoned  persons,  and  if  they  are  alive,  to  take  them  with  him  and  con- 
duct them  back  to  their  country ;  and  a  request  has  been  made  on  the  part  of  the 
said  kingdom  that  our  August  Imperial  Epistle  to  His  Majesty  the  said  Khaun,  be 
this  time  also  issued,  and  that  an  express  letter  be  also  written  and  sent  on  our  sin- 
cere part  to  Your  High  Quarter,  to  the  effect  that  endeavour  be  made  to  deliver  the 
said  imprisoned  persons  to  the  said  Derveesh,  and  to  restore  them  to  their  place. 

According  as  it  is  known  to  Your  Excellent  Self,  the  endurance  and  stability  of 
the  pillars  of  sincerity  and  friendship,  and  of  the  columns  of  love  and  amity  which 
from  of  old  have  stood  and  remained  firm  between  the  Sublime  Empire  of  eternal 
duration  and  the  said  kingdom,  is  a  thing  desired  on  both  sides  ;  and  by  this  reason, 
such  requests  as  take  place  are  deposited  in  the  centre  of  acceptance  and  fulfilment ; 
also  in  reality  the  imprisonment  and  detention  of  such  guests  cannot  be  in  accord- 
ance and  congruous  with  the  laws  of  nations  and  the  customs  of  sovereignty ;  and 
again,  by  reason  that,  according  to  the  result  of  the  requirements  of  the  uniting  point 
of  religion  and  true  faith  which  exist  between  the  Imperial  Person  of  the  Ca- 
liph and  His  Majesty  the  said  Khaun,  it  is  an  undoubted  circumstance  that  the  re- 
quests of  either  to  the  other  which  appear  in  the  mirror  of  event  and  forthcoming, 
will  arrive  at  the  receptacle  of  acceptance ;  therefore,  although  it  is  evident  that  al- 
ready endeavour  has  been  made  to  clear  of  impediment  the  road  of  the  said  impris- 
oned persons,  still  in  case  they  should  not  yet  have  left  Bokhara,  an  august  epistle 
has  been  issued  and  dispatched  unto  His  Majesty  the  said  Khaun,  to  the  effect  that 
endeavour  be  used  for  their  being  delivered  to  the  said  Derveesh,  to  their  being  re- 
stored and  sent  back  safely  and  joyfully  to  their  place  with  all  possible  speed,  by 
way  of  Constantinople ;  therefore,  according  to  the  generous  qualities  of  equity  and 
conscientiousness  with  which  Your  Noble  Self  is  endowed  and  qualified  in  this  mat- 
ter, that  is,  in  the  matter  of  restoring  and  sending  back  the  said  imprisoned  persons 
to  their  place  with  all  possible  speed,  it  is  hereby  explained,  that  it  is  Our  sincere 
and  most  express  hope  that  most  strenuous  endeavours  will  be  exerted  to  the  attain- 
ment of  the  requisite  means,  and  the  accompaniment  of  the  necessary  assistance  and 
protection  in  their  behalf;  and  in  this  wise  the  present  letter,  the  bond  of  sincerity, 
has  been  written,  and  sent  and  forwarded  to  Your  Presence,  the  Element  of  Excel- 
lence. When,  with  the  grace  of  the  Most  High,  it  shall  arrive,  the  exertion,  in  the 
manner  aforesaid,  of  Your  most  strenuous  endeavours,  depends  upon  Your  Qualities, 
Odoriferous  with  great  things. 


190  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

From  the  sincere  friend,  MUSTAFA  'AASIM,  son  of  the  native  of  Mecca ;  may  both 
their  sins  be  forgiven. 

After  the  letters  were  sent  up,  we  were  brought  before  the  King — 
Dil  Assa  Khan  and  myself.  His  Majesty  was  seated  in  the  balcony 
of  his  palace,  looking  down  upon  us :  thousands  of  people  in  the  dis- 
tance. All  eyes  were  bent  on  me,  to  see  if  I  would  submit  to  the 
etiquette.  When  the  Shekawl  took  hold  of  my  shoulders,  I  not  only 
submitted  to  his  doing  so  to  me  three  times,  but  I  bowed  repeatedly, 
and  exclaimed  unceasingly,  "  Peace  to  the  King,"  until  His  Majesty 
burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter,  and  of  course  all  the  rest  standing  around 
us.  His  Majesty  said,  "  Enough,  enough,  enough."  We  were  then 
ordered  to  retire.  The  Shekawl,  an  officer  who  answers  to  our  Secre- 
tary of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs,  then  assured  me  that  His  Majesty 
had  smiled  upon  me,  and  exclaimed,  "  What  an  extraordinary  man 
this  Englishman  is,  in  his  eyes,  and  his  dress,  and  the  Book  in  his 
hand." 

His  Majesty  is  about  five  feet  six  inches  high,  rather  stout,  black 
eyes  and  small,  of  dark  complexion,  with  a  convulsive  twitching  of  the 
muscles  of  his  face ;  his  voice  not  remarkably  powerful,  but  rapid  in 
intonation ;  his  smile  appears  forced.  He  has  the  whole  appearance 
of  a  bon-vivant.  His  clothes  are  quite  those  of  a  common  mullah, 
without  any  pomp  or  decoration.  He  has  deprived  the  mullahs  of  all 
their  power,  and  taken  the  executive  into  his  own  hands.  On  his 
accession  to  the  throne  he  killed  five  of  his  brothers :  two  of  them,  it 
is  reported,  were  murdered  in  the  territory  of  foreign  powers,  viz.,  one 
of  them  at  Khokand,  and  the  other  at  Orenbourg  in  Russia.  After  the 
death  of  his  father,  Turah  Zadeh  was  the  eldest,  and  had  actually 
taken  possession  of  Bokhara ;  however,  Nasir  Ullah,  the  present 
King,  retired  to  the  fortress  of  Karshi,  and  his  friend,  who  was  the 
Hakim  Beyk,  remained  at  Bokhara,  and  gained  over  the  people  of 
Bokhara  by  his  learning,  talent,  integrity,  and  wealth,  in  favour  of 
Nasir  Ullah.  After  he  had  thus  gained  the  inhabitants,  he  sent  word  to 
Nasir  Ullah  to  come  with  troops  to  the  gates  of  Bokhara.  As  soon  as 
he  appeared  the  gates  were  opened,  and  Turah  Zadeh  murdered,  and 
Nasir  Ullah  ascended  the  throne.  A  second  brother  was  murdered 
in  the  arms  of  his  mother.  Omar  Khan,  a  third  brother,  had  the  good 
fortune  to  escape,  and  he  wandered  about  in  the  whole  of  Turkistaun, 
spent  some  time  among  the  derveeshes  of  Mowlana  and  Jelala  Adeen, 
in  the  Turkish  Empire,  performed  under  the  garb  of  a  derveesh  his 
pilgrimage  to  the  Kaaba  at  Mecca,  to  the  grave  of  Muhammed  at  Me- 
dina ;  returned  again  to  the  Khunkaar  (Sultan)  of  Stamboul ;  and 
when  I,  in  1832,  was  in  the  desert  of  Mowr,  seated  in  the  tent  of  a 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  191 

Jew,  a  derveesh  entered  the  tent  of  my  Jewish  host,  and  soon  after  an 
Usbeck  came  in,  and  stared  at  the  derveesh,  and  exclaimed  suddenly, 
kissing  his  feet,  "  God  preserve  Omar  Khan,  my  padishah  of  Bokhara, 
son  of  Ameer  Hyder  Behadur."  Omar  Khan  said,  "  Betray  me  not ;" 
and  thus  Omar  Khan  wandered  about  in  the  desert  of  Mowr,  and  made 
an  alliance  with  the  King  of  Khiva  ;  and  I  heard  after  this  that  he 
was  slain  in  battle  against  his  brother,  the  present  King.  It  is  also 
said  that  the  present  King  poisoned  his  own  father. 

Hakim  Beyk,  who  had  assisted  him  to  mount  the  throne,  became 
his  Goosh-Bekee,  or  Vizier ;  and  as  long  as  he  followed  the  advice  of 
that  wise  minister,  Nasir  Ullah  was  the  beloved  King  of  Bokhara, 
and  feared  by  the  Kings  around  Bokhara.  The  Kings  of  Khokand, 
Cashgar,  and  Khetay,  sent  Ambassadors  with  presents  unto  him,  and 
Russia  continued  to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  the  King  of  Bokhara. 
The  object  of  that  great  minister,  the  Goosh-Bekee,  was  to  draw  to 
Bokhara  learned  men,  and  men  of  arts,  from  all  the  countries  of  the 
earth ;  and  his  friendship  with  Moorcroft  had  given  him  a  predilec- 
tion for  England,  and  he  desired  me  in  1832  to  prevail  on  the  British 
Government  to  send  physicians  and  officers,  together  with  an  Ambas- 
sador, to  Bokhara.  Sir  A.  Burnes,  after  me,  received  the  favours  of 
that  great  man,  and  Dr.  Haenigberger,  also,  from  Hungary,  who  came 
from  Lahore,  where  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  great  Runjeet  Singh, 
the  Lion  of  the  Punjaub.  The  derveeshes  of  Bokhara  began  to  sing 
of  the  praises  of  Nasir  Ullah  and  his  great  minister,  the  Goosh-Bekee. 
The  town  of  Bokhara  began  to  be  adorned  with  beautiful  mosques, 
and  outside  Bokhara,  gardens  and  country  houses  were  planned  ;  but 
Nasir  Ullah  Behadur  became  jealous  of  the  Goosh-Bekee.  At  that 
time,  in  the  year  1835,  Abdul  Samut  Khan  arrived  from  Cabal,  where 
he  had  run  away  from  Dost  Muhammed  Khan;  and  he  boasted  that 
he  was  acquainted  with  all  the  European  sciences  and  military  dis- 
cipline. The  excellent  Goosh-Bekee  recommended  him  to  the  King, 
and  the  King  nominated  him  the  Chief  of  the  Sirbaas,  i.  e.  of  the 
regular  troops  and  of  the  artillery.  The  Goosh-Bekee  poured  favours 
upon  the  new  comer,  whilst  Abdul  Samut  Khan  all  the  time  began  to 
intrigue  against  his  benefactor,  and  made  the  King  believe  that  the 
Goosh-Bekee  was  in  correspondence  with  England.  The  influence 
of  the  Goosh-Bekee  began  visibly  to  decline. 

At  that  time  a  report  reached  the  King,  that  an  Englishman  was  on 
his  way  to  Khiva  ;  he  sent  soldiers  (Usbecks)  after  him,  and  made  a 
prisoner  of  that  Englishman.  His  name  was  Lieutenant  Wyburt. 
He  was  cast  into  prison.  The  Goosh-Bekee  appeared  before  Nasir 
Behadur ;  the  respect  of  the  servants  was  no  longer  paid  to  him  as 


192  NARRATIVE   OF   THE    MISSION 

before:  the  Goosh-Bekee  bowed  three  times  to  the  ground,  stroked 
three  times  his  beard,  and  recited  the  first  chapter  of  the  Koran, 
called  Fatkha,  which  is  as  follows :  "  In  the  name  of  the  most  merciful 
and  compassionate  God ;  praise  to  God,  the  Creator  of  the  worlds,  the 
most  Merciful  and  Compassionate,  the  King  in  the  day  of  judgment ; 
we  serve  Thee,  we  look  up  to  Thee ;  guide  us  thoroughly  in  the  way 
of  those  to  whom  Thou  art  merciful,  not  in  the  way  of  those  with 
whom  Thou  art  angry ;  not  in  the  way  of  those  who  are  in  error. 
Amen."  And  then  he  stroked  again  his  beard.  The  King  asked 
him  to  sit  down,  which  he  did,  bowing  again  to  the  ground.  Then  the 
King  asked,  "  What  is  thy  request  ?"  He  said,  "  Oh,  Hasrat !  I  have 
devoted  my  old  days  and  my  gray  hairs  to  the  service  of  my  King 
and  my  Master  ;  I  have  served  many  years  your  father,  to  whom  God 
has  been  merciful.  I  have  not  gathered  treasure  ;  and  I  did  all  that 
you  might  become  a  powerful  monarch,  honoured  by  all  nations  ;  that 
you  might  become  like  Timur,  and  your  name  renowned  like  that  of 
Scander  Sulkarneyn.  But  in  what  have  I  now  sinned,  that  my  ad- 
vice is  no  longer  heard  ?"  The  King  demanded,  "  What  is  thy  de- 
sire ?"  He  replied,  "  Why  has  Your  Majesty  pulled  down  those  beau- 
tiful palaces  which  you  built  with  so  much  expense,  and  which  were 
the  delight  of  the  inhabitants  ?  and  besides  that,  why  does  Your  Maj- 
esty arrest  Englishmen  in  the  highways,  and  bring  them  prisoners  to 
Bokhara  ?  England  is  a  powerful  nation ;  all  Hind  belongs  to  it. 
Shah  Soojah-Almulk,  and  Shah  Zemaun,  the  two  Kings  of  Affgha- 
nistaun,  have  found  shelter  in  the  dominions  of  England.  Runjee' 
Singh,  the  idolater,  threatens  to  attack  Affghanistaun :  and  if  once  in 
Affghanistaun,  he  may  come  to  Bokhara.  On  the  other  side  we  are 
threatened  from  Russia  and  Khiva,  and  the  Guzl-Bash  will  unite  to 
destroy  the  King  of  Bokhara,  which  may  God  prevent.  What  can 
save  us  from  all  these  evils  except  a  strict  alliance  with  England  ?" 
The  King  told  him  to  retire,  and  promised  to  profit  by  his  advice. 

Soon  after  this  the  Reis,  i.  e.  the  Great  Mullah,  who  enforces  with 
bastinadoes  and  death  obedience  to  the  observance  of  the  rites  of  the 
Muhammedan  religion,  preached  one  day  to  the  Muhammedans  in  the 
following  manner  :  "  The  King  is  a  shepherd.  The  subjects  are  the 
sheep.  The  shepherd  may  do  with  the  sheep  as  he  thinks  proper;  he 
may  take  the  wife  from  her  husband,  for  the  wife  is  the  sheep  of  the 
King,  as  well  as  the  husband,  and  he  may  make  use  of  any  other 
man's  wife  just  as  he  pleases."  From  that  moment  Nasir  Ullah  be- 
came the  greatest  profligate  at  Bokhara.  He  employed  all  his  Makh- 
rams  as  so  many  ruffians.  The  persons  who  were  not  willing  to  give 
up  their  wives,  were  instantly  put  to  death,  and  he  so  habituated  them 


OF   DR.   WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  193 

to  tyranny,  thai  the  husband,  on  being  deprived  of  his  wife,  sighed 
and  resigned  himself  to  the  will  of  the  King  with  the  exclamation, 
Een  Kary  Padsha  hast—"  This  is  a  royal  act."  The  honest  Goosh- 
Bekee  alone  resisted,  and  boldly  reproved  the  King  for  it.  Upon 
which  he  was  exiled  to  Karshi.  When  the  friends  of  the  Goosh- 
Bekee  wanted  him  to  escape  to  Khokand,  he  said,  "  I  am  too  old  to  be 
a  traitor,  I  am  sixty  years  of  age  ;  I  will  die  in  my  native  country, 
for  die  I  must,  whether  in  my  house  or  in  prison."  He  remained 
quietly  in  prison  at  Karshe,  spent  his  days  in  reading  the  Koran,  saw 
from  time  to  time  derveeshes  of  the  family  of  Nakshbande,  and  was 
at  last  brought  again  to  Bokhara,  and  there  put  in  prison,  and  then 
executed  by  order  of  the  Ameer,  behind  the  palace,  on  the  spot  where 
afterwards  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  were  executed. 

25 


194  NARRATIVE   OP   THE  MISSION 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Passive  Obedience  the  feeling  of  the  People  of  Bokhara.  Bad  Character  of  the 
Mervee.  King's  Touch  supposed  to  cure  Disease.  His  Wives ;  his  mixed  De- 
scent from  a  Persian  Mother  and  an  Usbeck  Prince  ;  nursed  by  a  Cassack  Wo- 
man. Dr.  Wolffs  Interview  with  Shekawl.  Equivocation  of  Dil  Assa  Khan. 
Dr.  Wolff  explains  his  Mission.  The  Makhram  sent  in  the  Evening  with  Ques- 
tions for  Dr.  Wolff  to  answer.  Appearance  before  Ameer  on  the  following  day. 
Makhram  sent  to  Dr.  Wolff  with  another  Question.  Visit  to  Abdul  Samut  Khan  J 
history  of  him.  Nayeb  receives  Dr.  Wolff  with  apparent  cordiality.  Long  Con- 
versation relative  to  the  Death  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  Private  Conversation 
with  Nayeb  afterwards  ;  he  affects  to  have  befriended  Stoddart  and  Conolly  ; 
shows  Testimonials  from  them  and  Sir  Alexander  Burnes.  Dr.  Wolff  hears  "  God 
save  the  Queen"  played  by  the  Ameer's  Band ;  writes  to  Lord  Aberdeen  about 
the  Russian  Slaves  in  Bokhara.  Nayeb  gives  Dr.  Wolff  three  thousand  Tillahs  ; 
Dr.  Wolff  objects  to  receive  them.  Dr.  Wolff  explains  to  the  Nayeb  the  Object 
of  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Committee.  Nayeb  demands  how  much  Money  Dr. 
Wolff  would  pay  for  his  Ransom.  King  deeply  affected  at  Report  made  by  the 
Makhram  of  Dr.  Wolff's  Interview  with  Abdul  Samut  Khan.  Letter  to  Captain 
Grover. 

WHATEVER  crime  or  cruelty  the  King  of  Bokhara  commits,  the 
people  simply  observe,  "  This  was  an  act  of  the  King" — "  Who  can 
fathom  the  heart  of  a  King  ?"  But  the  Tatshick  have  more  sense  of 
liberty,  and  they  in  secret  complain  of  the  cruelty  of  the  King ;  and 
the  Mervee  would  at  once  join  the  Persians,  if  the  latter  would  send 
an  army  there.  But  the  character  of  the  Mervee  is  so  bad,  that  the 
proverb  is  current  at  Bokhara  and  Meshed,  If  you  meet  with  a  viper 
(mar  in  Persian)  and  a  Mervee,  kill  first  the  Mervee  and  then  the 
serpent  (mar).  They  (the  Mervee)  are,  however,  as  also  the  Tatshick, 
fond  of  reading  poetry.  They  assembled  daily  in  the  quarter  where 
I  lived,  in  the  room  of  Dil  Assa  Khan  Mervee,  the  treacherous  Mervee 
who  served  me  as  mehmoondar  from  Meshed  to  Bokhara,  and  read 
aloud  the  poem  of  Scander  Nameh,  or,  History  of  Alexander  the  Great. 
It  is  curious,  that  though  the  people  of  Bokhara  are  great  enemies  of 
the  Sheah,  yet  they  are  great  admirers  of  the  writings  of  Hafiz  and 
Saadi. 

The  people  of  Bokhara  and  all  the  rest  of  the  Turkomaun  nation 
attach  a  particular  efficacy  to  the  touching  of  the  King's  garments  or 
hands,  and  believe  that  sick  people  may  be  cured  by  the  simple  touch 
of  the  King. 


Harper  &  Brothers  ,  "New  York 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  195 

The  King  has  four  wives,  of  whom  he  has  only  one  son,  who  is 
about  twenty  years  of  age,  and  said  to  be  of  a  weakly  constitution. 
But  it  is  said  that  his  wives  hate  him,  and  that  they  are  Persian  slaves. 
They  are  the  friends  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  to  whom  they  report 
every  action  and  every  word  of  the  King.  And  it  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered  at  that  they  should  hate  the  profligate  above  described.  It  must 
be  observed,  that  the  King  himself  is  the  son  of  Shah  Hydur,  with  a 
Persian  slave ;  and  as  a  Tarkomaun  well  said,  at  Nishapoor,  "  As  a 
horse  paired  with  a  donkey  produces  a  mule,  so  an  Usbeck  married  to 
a  Persian  must  produce  a  monster."  Besides  that,  the  King  had  a 
Cassack  woman  from  the  desert  as  his  wet  nurse,  and  thus,  as  the 
same  Tarkomaun  at  Nishapoor  observed,  "  he  drank  the  milk  of  a 
man-eater,  for  the  Cassacks  in  the  desert  are  accused  of  eating  the 
bodies  of  dead  men,  and  it  is  for  that  reason  that  he  is  such  a  blood- 
hound," 

After  presentation  to  the  King  we  were  brought  to  a  small  room  in 
the  palace,  which  serves  as  an  office  ;  here  the  Shekhawl  above  men- 
tioned came  accompanied  by  Mullah  Haje  his  secretary,  who  is  one 
of  those  Persian  slaves  of  whom  there  are  two  hundred  thousand 
throughout  the  kingdom  of  Bokhara.  Mullah  Haje  recollected  having 
known  me  when  at  Bokhara  in  1832.  The  Shekhawl  then  opened 
the  business  by  first  addressing  himself  to  Dil  Assa  Khan  Mervee. 

Shekhawl,  What  is  your  name  and  country  ? 

D.A.  K  Dil  Assa  Khan, 

Sh.  What  is  your  request  of  His  Majesty  (Hazrat)  ? 

D.  A.  K.  My  request  consists  only  in  one  point ;  His  Excellency  the 
Assqf-ood-Dowla  being  a  great  friend  of  His  Majesty,  and  convinced 
that  the  King  of  Bokhara  with  justice  demands  the  possession  of  Khiva 
and  Khokand,  offers  his  assistance  to  His  Majesty  against  Khiva 
and  Khokand,  and  all  the  cannon,  ammunition,  and  troops,  demanded 
from  him,  the  Assaf-ood-Dowla  will  be  ready  to  send  to  the  Ameer. 
Khorassaun  is  near  to  Bokhara,  Russia  is  two  months  distant  from 
Bokhara,  and  England  six  months ;  therefore  friendship  between  the 
Assajf-ood-Dowla  and  Bokhara  is  most  necessary.  This  is  the  only 
request  I  have  to  make. 

Wolff.  Have  you  no  other  request  to  make  ? 

D.  A.  K.  None  whatever. 

W.  You  are  my  man,  and  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  has  merely  sent  yon 
here  to  assist  me  in  my  request  to  the  King,  and  you  have  been  paid  by 
me  for  it. 

D.  A.  K.  The  Assaflf-ood-Dowla  has  merely  sent  you  on  with  me  here. 

Sk.  What  is  your  name  and  request  ? 


196  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

W.  Joseph  Wolif  is  my  name,  a  well-known  mullah  and  derveesh 
from  England.  I  was  in  the  city  of  Bokhara  twelve  years  ago,  (Mul- 
lah Haje  here  recollected  me  and  at  once  said  so,)  when  I  was  well 
treated  by  His  Majesty,  and  a  passport  was  given  to  me  previous  to 
my  departure,  saying  that  the  high  order  had  been  issued  that  Joseph 
Wolff  the  Englishman  should  be  allowed  to  return  to  his  country,  and 
that  on  the  road  nobody  should  lay  any  hindrance  in  his  way.  After 
me  Sir  Alexander  Burnes  arrived,  and  was  well  treated  and  allowed 
to  proceed  on  his  way  to  England,  and  the  hospitable  conduct  of  His 
Majesty  towards  myself  and  Sir  Alexander  Burnes  induced  others  to 
visit  Bokhara  Shereef.  Two  officers,  (highly  beloved  and  honoured 
by  the  British  government,)  my  friends,  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain 
Conolly,  came  here  ;  Captain  Conolly  was  my  Murreed,  i.  e.  spiritual 
disciple  ;  when  suddenly  it  was  reported  from  the  land  of  Russia,  the 
land  of  Khiva,  and  even  from  the  land  of  Khokand,  and  also  from  the 
land  of  Hindustaun,  that  both  officers,  brave  in  war,  and  religious 
men,  had  been  killed  by  order  of  the  King  of  Bokhara,  and  this 
news  made  not  only  a  great  commotion  throughout  England  and  Hin- 
dustaun, but  also  in  the  new  world  (America),  and  Muhammed  Ali  of 
Egypt  heard  of  it,  and  thousands  in  England  exclaimed,  "  War  with 
Bokhara !" 

Here  the  Shekawl  interrupted  me  by  asking,  "  How  far  is  England 
from  Bokhara  ?"  Dil  Assa  Khan  replied,  "  Six  months  march."  I 
said,  "  That  is  untrue ;  England  itself  is  only  three  months  march 
distant  from  Bokhara,  but  we  have  troops  at  Shikarpore,  ne&r  Canda- 
har,  which  is  only  thirty  days  march  from  Bokhara." 

I  then  continued,  saying,  "  I,  Joseph  Wolff,  seeing  this  great  com- 
motion (vi^Twi*)  throughout  the  world,  about  the  death  of  Colonel 
Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  put  into  the  newspapers,  «  Oh  my  Eng- 
lish friends,  I  cannot  believe  the  report  of  the  death  of  Colonel  Stod- 
dart and  Captain  Conolly,  for  they  revere  at  Bokhara  guests  very 
much.  I  shall  therefore  go  there  and  ascertain  the  truth.'  All  my 
friends  said,  *  Don't  go  there,  for  they  will  kill  you  also.'  I  said,  'I 
shall  go,  for  Conolly  was  my  great  friend.'  On  seeing  my  determi- 
nation, my  friends  induced  the  government  of  England  to  order  their 
Ambassadors  at  Constantinople  and  Teheraun  to  procure  me  letters 
for  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Bokhara  from  the  Sultan,  and  from  Mu- 
hammed Shah.  On  my  arrival  at  Constantinople  the  Sultan  gave  me 
the  required  letters,  also  the  Sheikh-al-Islam  of  Stamboul ;  and  Mu- 
hammed, Shah  of  Persia,  not  only  gave  me  letters  for  the  King  of 
Bokhara,  but  also  for  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  ordering  him  to  give  me 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  197 

every  assistance  and  aid,  in  order  that  I  might  meet  with  a  good  re- 
ception at  Bokhara.  On  my  arrival  at  Meshed  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla 
asked  me  whether  I  should  like  him  to  send  a  respectable  man  with 
me,  who  would  speak  in  my  behalf  to  the  Ameer ;  in  this  case  he  would 
give  himself  one  hundred  tomauns  to  that  man,  and  I  should  give  an- 
other hundred  tomauns  to  that  same  man.  And  His  Excellency  the 
AssafF-ood-Dowla  said  he  would  also  send  presents  to  the  Ameer  to 
secure  for  me  a  good  reception.  I  accepted  the  proposal,  and  gave  a 
hundred  tomauns  to  Dil  Assa  Khan,  and  we  set  out  for  Bokhara,  but 
as  he  behaved  on  the  road  like  a  knave,  I  sent  several  Turkomauns  to 
Meshed,  reporting  his  bad  conduct,  on  which  account  the  Assajf  sent  me 
several  letters,  and  letters  to  Dil  Assa  Khan,  with  copies  of  them  to 
me,  which  I  have  delivered  to  the  Ameer  with  the  rest  of  the  letters,  by 
which  the  Ameer  will  perceive  that  Dil  Assa  Klian  is  only  my  man,  that 
he  has  played  the  traitor,  and  that  the  statement  of  the  object  of  his 
coming  to  Bokhara  and  back,  is  a  falsehood  from  beginning  to  end." 

D.  A.  K.  I  never  said  that  I  did  not  come  on  your  account,  for  I 
know  that  England  and  Persia  are  great  friends. 

W.  /  don't  want  your  assistance. 

Sh.  What  is  therefore  now  your  object  ? 

Dil  Assa  Khan  here  replied,  "  His  (Joseph  Wolff's)  object  is  to  es- 
tablish friendship  between  England  and  the  King  of  Bokhara." 

W.  I  have  no  authority  for  that,  but  my  object  is,  first,  to  ask, 
Where  are  my  friends,  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  ?  are 
they  alive,  or  dead  ?  If  alive,  I  beg  His  Majesty  to  send  them  with 
me  back  to  England ;  if  dead,  His  Majesty  will  state  his  reasons 
for  putting  them  to  death,  and  also  send  with  me  an  Ambassador  to 
England. 

I  perceived  that  if  I  did  not  hold  out  some  hopes  of  reconciliation, 
he  (the  King)  would  be  driven  to  despair,  and  perhaps  put  me  to 
death  ;  and  at  the  same  time  the  Ambassador  would  serve  me  as  an 
escort  in  my  journey  through  the  desert.  I  now  give  the  continuation 
of  my  dialogue  with  the  Shekawl. 

Sh.  Has  the  British  Government  itself  authorized  you  to  come 
here? 

Dil  Assa  Khan  interrupted  me  here,  and  said,  "  Yes." 

W.  No ;  I  am  sent  by  the  Sultan  and  Muhammed  Shah,  on  ac- 
count of  their  friendship  with  England. 

Sh.  Are  you  authorized  to  claim  them  if  alive  ? 

W.  Yes,  by  all  the  Powers  of  Europe,  and  the  voice  of  the  British 
nation. 

Sh.  Is  there  much  commotion  about  it  in  Europe  ? 


198  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

W.  Very  much  so ;  people  speak  only  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly, 
and  of  the  apprehension  they  entertain  of  my  sharing  the  fate  of  Stod- 
dart and  my  friend  Conolly. 

Mullah  Haje.  You  loved  Conolly  very  much  ? 

W.  Very  much. 

We  were  then  dismissed ;  and  the  house  formerly  belonging  to 
Toora  Zadeh,  brother  to  the  present  King,  who  was  killed  by  order 
of  the  latter,  was  assigned  to  us  as  our  dwelling  ;  and  from  that  mo- 
ment, ajl  liberty  of  going  out  as  I  pleased  was  taken  from  me.  I  was 
watched  day  and  night  by  the  Makhrams  of  the  King.  The  evening 
of  my  arrival  the  King  sent  to  me  two  persons,  the  one  was  a  Makh- 
ram,  the  other  a  Mirza  who  writes  down  everything  which  the  Makh- 
ram  (confidential  servant  to  the  King)  asks  the  stranger. 

Mirza  (addressing  himself  to  me).  This  is  a  favourite  Makhram 
to  Hazrat  (His  Majesty).  ******** 

Makhram.  His  Majesty  has  been  graciously  pleased  to  order  you 
to  answer  two  questions,  which  he  proposes  to  you  now  through  his 
slave.  The  first  question  is,  "  Are  you  able  to  awake  the  dead  ?" 
The  second  question  is  this,  "  When  will  the  day  of  resurrection  take 
place  ?" 

W.  By  God's  power,  one  is  able  to  do  everything,  for  God  is  mighty 
above  all ;  and  if  God  (His  name  be  praised  !)  gives  me  that  power, 
I  am  able  to  do  so,  but  hitherto  He  has  never  granted  me  that  power 
from  above.  With  regard  to  the  second  question  :  when  I  was  at 
Bokhara,  twelve  years  ago,  I  conversed  with  the  Jews  about  the  re- 
turn of  Jesus,  and  then  I  told  them,  and  also  the  Goosh-Bekee,  His 
Majesty's  Vizier,  that  Jesus  would  return  after  fifteen  years :  but 
since  that  time  I  have  had  some  doubts  that  my  calculation  may  not 
be  quite  correct,  for  the  meaning  of  the  numbers  mentioned  in  the 
Prophet  Daniel  admit  of  a  twofold  interpretation  ;  yet  I  am  convinced 
by  the  signs  of  the  times  that  the  time  of  the  coming  of  Jesus  is  at 
hand.  I  then  pointed  out  to  him  the  signs  of  the  times,  as  mentioned 
in  Matthew  xxiv.  xxv.  ;  Luke  xxi.  ;  Isaiah  xxxiv.,  &c.,  and  then 
departed,— every  word  I  said  having  been  written  down  by  the 
Mirza. 

We  were  ordered  to  meet  the  next  day  again,  to  appear  before  the 
Ameer  to  make  our  Selaam,  and  then  to  retire.  On  returning  to  my 
lodging,  a  Makhram  was  sent  again  by  the  King  to  ask  me  why  I  was 
dressed  in  black  and  red  colours, — for  I  wore  my  clergyman's  gown 
and  doctor's  hood  whenever  I  was  obliged  to  call  on  His  Majesty.  I 
therefore  replied  that  it  was  the  costume  of  the  Mullah  Kelaan,  Great 
Mullahs  of  England. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  199 

Makhram.  Has  it  some  meaning  ? 

W.  With  me  it  has. 

M.  What  meaning  have  these  colours  with  you  ? 

W.  The  black  colour  indicates  that  I  mourn  over  my  dead  friends, 
and  the  red  colour  indicates  that  /  am  ready  to  give  my  blood  for  my 
faith. 

I  arrived,  I  think,  on  the  27th  of  April,  it  was  on  a  Friday,  and  on 
the  29th,  Makhram  Kasem  came  and  said  I  must  follow  him  some- 
where. 

W.  Where  shall  we  go  ? 

Kasem.  This  you  will  see. 

All  the  attendants  around  me  trembled.  An  old  Yoos  Bashi  (com- 
mander of  a  hundred  soldiers),  who  was  a  Persian  slave,  wept,  and 
said  to  me  in  a  whisper,  after  Kasem  had  gone  out  of  the  room  of  Dil 
Assa  Khan,  "  Why  did  you  come  here  ?  Stoddart  Saib  and  Conolly 
Saib  have  thus  been  taken  out  of  the  house  where  they  will  now  bring 
you."  I  asked  my  servant  Houssein,  "  Will  you  accompany  me  ?" 
He  replied  in  the  affirmative.  Dil  Assa  Khan  also  mounted  his  horse, 
and,  accompanied  by  his  servants,  he  rode  proudly  before  me,  Makh- 
ram Kasem  at  his  side, — who  throughout  the  road  conversed  with 
Dil  Assa  Khan,  and  not  one  word  with  me ;  and  Dil  Assa  Khan's  ser- 
vants drove  violently  back  my  horse,  when  it  came  a  little  near  the 
side  of  Dil  Assa  Khan.  Houssein,  my  servant,  also  began  to  fear  to 
appear  as  my  servant,  and  walked  near  the  horse  of  Dil  Assa  Khan. 
We  rode  one  mile  out  of  the  town,  to  the  garden  of  Nayeb  Abdul 
Samut  Khan,  chief  of  the  artillery,  which  he  disciplines  in  the  Euro- 
pean way. 

Before  I  proceed  with  the  relation  of  my  first  interview  with  the 
Nayeb,  a  slight  digression  will  make  my  readers  acquainted  with  a 
fact,  which  I  believe  I  mentioned  in  my  journey  to  Bokhara,  in  1831 
— 32.  When  I  arrived  at  Cabul,  in  1832,  I  met  with  Sir  Alexander 
Burnes,  and  in  conversation  he  told  me,  "  When  you  come  to  Pe- 
shawr  be  on  your  guard  against  a  person  there  who  calls  himself  the 
Vizier  of  Sultan  Muhammed  Khan ;  his  name  is  Abdul  Samut  Khan, 
a  great  rascal,  who  if  he  can  do  any  harm  to  an  Englishman  he  will 
do  so,  for  he  knows  that  we  look  with  contempt  upon  him."  There- 
fore, on  my  arrival  at  Peshawr,  I  never  came  near  him,  but  saw  him 
only  for  one  moment,  when  he  called  upon  me  in  the  company  of  Sul- 
tan Muhammed  Khan. 

Abdul  Samut  Khan  was  born  at  Tabreez,  in  the  year  1784,  and 
having  acquired  some  smattering  of  military  science  at  Kermanshah, 
from  Monsieur  le  General  Court,  he  was  employed  there  for  a  while 


200  NARRATIVE   OF  THE   MISSION 

by  Muhammed  All  Mirza,  the  celebrated  son  of  Futt  Ullah  Shah  :  on 
account  of  some  misdemeanour  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  Muhammed 
Ali  Mirza  ordered  his  ears  to  be  cut  off.  The  Khan  then  deserted, 
and  went  over  to  Muhammed  Ali  Mirza's  antagonist,  Abbas  Mirza 
at  Tabreez  ;  but  was  soon  obliged  to  escape  from  Tabreez.  He  pro- 
ceeded to  India ;  thence  to  Peshawr ;  from  whence  he  escaped,  and 
took  service  with  Dost  Muhammed  Khan ;  he  fled  thence  and  came 
to  Bokhara,  where  the  wise  and  good  Hakem  Beyk,  the  Goosh-Bekee 
of  Bokhara  when  I  was  there  in  1832,  procured  him  service  with  the 
Ameer,  in  order  to  teach  the  soldiers  the  military  discipline.  The 
Ameer  made  him  a  Khan,  and  nominated  him  his  Nayeb  (lieutenant). 
He  lives  in  great  pomp  outside  the  town,  and  has  acquired,  during  the 
nine  years  he  has  been  there,  a  fortune  of  sixty  thousand  tillahs,  i.  e. 
ducats.  He  visits  the  King  every  Sunday,  and  likes  to  pass  as  a  Eu- 
ropean by  birth,  and  a  disciple  of  the  English  officers.  He  was  once 
in  disgrace  on  account  of  having  withheld  the  pay  of  the  troops,  and 
was  near  being  .killed  soon  after  Stoddart's  death,  but  the  war  with 
Khiva  and  Khokand  prevented  the  Ameer  from  doing  so,  as  he  was 
in  need  of  his  advice.  To  this  man,  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  I  was 
brought,  and  to  the  room  in  the  upper  story  of  the  house  where  he  fre- 
quently conversed  with  Stoddart  and  Conolly. 

He  first  embraced  slightly  Dil  Assa  Khan,  but  when  he  came  to 
me  he  pressed  me  to  his  heart,  kissed  me  for  about  ten  minutes, 
pinched  my  hands  and  my  fingers,  as  I  suppose  (for  I  am  no  Freema- 
son) the  Freemasons  do,  then  asked  me  to  sit  down  and  partake  of  an 
excellent  breakfast  of  kubaab  (roasted  lamb),  rice,  coffee,  and  tea. 
Whilst  the  Nayeb,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  and  myself,  were  seated  at  table, 
Makhram  Kasem,  with  a  Mirza,  was  seated  on  the  ground  in  the 
Eastern  manner,  and  the  Mirza  (writer)  with  the  pen  in  his  hand  and 
paper  and  ink  before  him. 

Nayeb  (eating  at  the  same  time).  Now,  Mullah  Youssuf  Wolff,  I 
have  known  you  twelve  years ;  aye,  I  saw  you  at  Peshawr,  and  I 
know  all  about  you.  At  present  England  and  Bokhara  are  at  war 
and  are  enemies ;  but  after  you  have  heard  how  the  two  officers, 
Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  treated  Hazrat  (His  Majesty), 
and  how  they  have  treated  me,  England  and  Bokhara  shall  be  friends, 
which  I  heartily  wish.  By  the  Uzbecks  I  am  suspected  of  being  an 
Englishman,  and  by  the  English  I  am  suspected  of  being  an  Uzbeck, 
but  1  am  neither  the  one  nor  the  other.  All  I  wish  is  that  the  truth  should 
be  known,  and  now  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it.  When  Colonel  Stod- 
dart arrived  at  Bokhara,  His  Majesty  sent  a  whole  troop  of  soldiers  to 
receive  him ;  he  came  to  Bokhara,  and  to  the  Ark,  just  when  Hazrat 


OF   DE.   WOLFF  TO   BOKHARA.  201 

returned  from  a  pilgrimage  to  Baba  Deen  Nakshbande  (a  holy  man 
buried  outside  the  town).  Colonel  Stoddart  was  on  horseback.  The 
Shekhawl,  and  several  other  Serkerdeha  (grandees)  went  up  to  him 
and  said,  "  This  is  His  Majesty,  you  must  dismount."  But  he  repli- 
ed, "  I  have  no  orders  for  doing  so."  The  Ameer  smiled,  and  said 
he  is  a  mehmoon  (guest).  When  you,  Joseph  Wolff,  made  your  Sa- 
laam before  the  Ameer,  the  Shekhawl  took  slightly  hold  of  your  shoul- 
ders to  make  you  bow  down ;  you  submitted  with  your  book  in  the 
hand ;  but  when  the  Shekhawl  only  touched  Colonel  Stoddart,  he  laid 
his  hand  on  his  sword  and  drew  it.  Nothing  was  said  to  this.  The 
house  of  Toora,  the  same  house  in  which  you  live,  was  assigned  to 
him  as  his  quarters.  When  a  few  days  after  the  Rais  (one  of  the 
mullahs  who  watch  over  the  people,  and  have  power  to  flog  any  one 
who  does  not  observe  strictly  the  Muhammedan  religion)  sent  one  of 
his  friends  to  Stoddart  and  asked  him  whether  he  was  an  Eljee  (am- 
bassador) or  a  Sodagur  (merchant)  ?  Stoddart  replied,  "  Eat  dung  /" 
His  imprisonment  upon  this  occasion  the  Nayeb  passed  over  in  si- 
lence, and  continued,  "  At  last  from  fear,  Stoddart  said  he  would  be- 
come a  Mussulman,  and  according  to  the  Muhammedan  religion,  if  a 
person  says  he  will  turn  Mussulman,  he  must  either  do  so  or  die.  He 
became  a  Mussulman,  and  a  short  time  after  openly  avowed  again  the 
Christian  religion.  At  last  it  was  agreed  that  he  should  write  to  Eng- 
land to  be  acknowledged  as  the  accredited  agent  of  Great  Britain  at 
the  court  of  Bokhara,  and  that  the  King  of  Bokhara  should  be  the  ac- 
knowledged sovereign  of  Turkistaun,  &o. ;  and  Colonel  Stoddart 
promised  that  in  four  months  an  answer  should  arrive  from  the  Gov- 
ernment of  England.  Though  at  his  (Stoddart's)  request,  Japar 
Khanas  (post-houses)  were  established  from  Bokhara  to  Sarakhs,  which 
did  not  exist  either  at  Bokhara  or  in  the  land  of  Turkistaun  from  the 
time  of  Afrasiab,  fourteen  months  elapsed,  and  no  answer  arrived. 
During  the  time  that  Colonel  Stoddart  was  at  Bokhara,  Captain  Con- 
oily  went  from  Organtsh  (Khiva)  to  Khokand,  where  he  stopped  a 
considerable  time,  exciting  both  countries  to  wage  war  against  the 
Ameer  of  Bokhara.  He  at  last  arrived  at  Bokhara,  announcing  him- 
self as  a  British  Agent,  without  having  any  letters  from  the  British 
Government ;  and  whatever  Colonel  Stoddart  had  agreed  to  he  upset, 
announcing  to  the  King  of  Bokhara  that  the  British  Government  would 
never  interfere  with  the  affairs  of  Turkistaun,  and  all  that  Colonel 
Stoddart  had  agreed  to  went  for  nothing.  Thus  it  was  clear  that 
Colonel  Stoddart  was  a  liar.  During  the  stay  of  Conolly  and  Stod- 
dart they  took  every  opportunity  of  despatching,  in  the  most  stealthy 
manner,  letters  to  Cabul ;  and  on  this  account  His  Majesty  became 

26 


202  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

displeased,  and  both  Captain  Conolly  and  Colonel  Stoddart  were 
brought,  with  their  hands  tied,  behind  the  Ark  (palace  of  the  King), 
in  presence  of  Makhram  Saadat,  when  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain 
Conolly  kissed  each  other,  and  Colonel  Stoddart  said  to  Saadat,  '  Tell 
the  Ameer  that  I  die  a  disbeliever  in  Muhammed,  but  a  believer  in 
Jesus — that  I  am  a  Christian,  and  a  Christian  I  die.'  And  Conolly 
said,  '  Stoddart,  we  shall  see  each  other  in  Paradise  (Behesht),  near 
Jesus.'  Then  Saadat  gave  the  order  to  cut  off,  first  the  head  of  Stod- 
dart, which  was  done ;  and  in  the  same  manner  the  head  of  Conolly 
was  cut  off." 

W.  I  thought  strangling  was  the  mode  of  killing  at  Bokhara. 

N.  Strangling  was  formerly  used,  but  the  King  of  Bokhara  said, 
"  Strangling  gives  more  pain,  and  the  rascally  Khan  of  Khiva  stran- 
gles people ;  and  therefore,  out  of  mercy,  I  command  the  heads  of 
evil-doers  to  be  cut  off  with  a  common  knife." 

Then  the  Nayeb  said  to  me,  "  Have  you  some  request  to  make '?" 

W.  First  of  all,  I  am  astonished  that  His  Majesty  should  have 
thought  that  the  Government  of  England  would  enter  into  a  corres- 
pondence with  him  as  long  as  Stoddart  was  a  prisoner,  and  thus  forced 
to  write  whatever  His  Majesty  pleased.  Secondly,  I  am  astonished 
that  Colonel  Stoddart  should  have  expected  that  Government  would, 
under  these  circumstances,  listen  to  his  proposals. 

IV.  (knocking  upon  the  table  on  which  the  breakfast  was  spread). 
But  Japar-Khanas  (post-houses)  were  established  on  Stoddart's  ac- 
count, which  existed  not  from  the  time  of  Afrasiab. 

W.  Yet  he  was  a  prisoner. 

N.  (again  in  the  same  manner).  But  Japar-Khanas  were  estab- 
lished on  Stoddart's  account,  which  existed  not  from  the  time  of  Af- 
rasiab. 

W.  Then  I  have  to  observe,  that  the  correspondence  between  Eng- 
land and  Persia  was  carried  on  for  a  long  time  through  the  Governor- 
General  of  India.  Now  I  have  been  informed  that  Lord  Ellenborough, 
the  present  Governor-General  of  India,  wrote  to  His  Majesty  the  King 
of  Bokhara. 

The  Nayeb  evidently  appeared  embarrassed,  and  said,  "  I  never 
saw  such  a  letter  from  the  Governor- General;"  and  then  immediately 
asked  me,  "  What  is  to  be  done  ?"  I  saw  clearly  that  there  was  nothing 
else  to  be  done  but  to  contrive  to  get  away  from  Bokhara  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  in  the  best  and  safest  manner  I  could.  I  therefore  saw 
clearly  that  if  I  did  not  hold  out  some  hopes  of  reconciliation,  that  I 
should  not  be  allowed  to  go  back  to  tell  the  story,  and  therefore 
thought  that  the  best  way  to  effect  my  escape  would  be  to  propose  to 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  203 

the  Ameer  to  send  ah  Ambassador  with  me ;  for  even  if  he  had  suf- 
fered me  to  go  alone,  I  had  reason  to  be  apprehensive  that  Dil  Assa 
Khan — afraid  that  I  should  get  him  punished  for  his  treachery  by  the 
Assaff-ood-Dowla — would  murder  me  on  the  road  to  Meshed  ;  and 
such  an  Ambassador,  therefore,  would  serve  me  as  a  protector.  I 
therefore  simply  told  the  Nayeb,  "  Let  the  King  send  with  me  an  Am- 
bassador  to  apologize  in  England  for  his  conduct." 

This  whole  conversation,  at  my  proposal,  was  written  down ;  and 
the  Makhram  Kasem,  with  the  Mirza,  instantly  rode  off  to  the  palace, 
for  the  King  was  so  impatient  to  know  the  result  of  the  conversation, 
that  ho  actually  sent  three  Makhrams  on  horseback,  one  after  the 
other,  from  the  palace  to  the  garden  of  the  Nayeb. 

After  the  Makhram  Kasem  and  the  Mirza  had  departed,  the  Nayeb 
desired  Dil  Assa  Khan,  his  servants,  and  my  servants,  to  go  down 
and  take  a  walk  in  the  garden,  and  after  this  had  been  done  by  them 
the  whole  conversation  took  quite  a  different  turn. 

Nayeb  Abdul  Samut  Khan  began  to  weep,  and  said,  "  Both  Colonel 
Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  have  been  put  to  death  without  a  sin  or 
crime  on  their  part.  I  was  not  able  to  answer  your  objection,  that  the 
King  could  not  expect  an  answer  from  Dowlat,  (this,  which  means  the 
Power,  is  the  emphatic  designation  of  our  Government  at  Bokhara,) 
as  long  as  Stoddart  was  a  prisoner  ;  in  fact,  he  was  so  much  worn  out 
that  when  he  (Stoddart)  came  to  me  he  had  not  a  shirt  on  his  back, 
pale  as  the  wall.  I  offered  to  the  King  one  hundred  thousand  tillahs  for 
their  release,  but  he  would  not  give  ear  to  my  proposal ;  all  His  Maj- 
esty replied  was,  '  They  are  spies,  and  as  spies  they  must  die.'  Soon 
after  them  another  Englishman  came,  whose  name  I  don't  know, — he 
was  also  put  to  death ;  and  one  Frankee,  Naselli  by  name,  who  had 
letters  for  Avitabile  at  Lahore.  The  tyrant  (Abdul  Samut  Khan  con- 
tinued) intended  putting  me  to  death,  and  has  for  two  years  back  not 
given  me  any  salary,  until  he  saw  that  he  could  not  go  on  without 
me ;  and  thus  he  acted  even  after  I  had  taken  Khokand  ;  and  if  he 
had  been  able  to  have  taken  Khiva,  he  certainly  would  have  cut  off 
my  head.  Let  the  British  Government  send  one  officer  to  Khokand, 
another  to  Khoolom,  another  to  Khiva,  and  thus  let  those  Khans  be  in- 
duced to  march  against  Bokhara,  and  let  the  British  Government  only 
give  me  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  tillahs,  I  am  ready  to  support  them ; 
I  make  Hah,  Front  f  (he  said  this  in  English,  the  only  words  he 
knows  besides  no  force.)  Three  days  after  they  were  killed,  the  ty- 
rant sent  to  me  Makhram  Saadat,  and  gave  to  me  the  full  report  of  it, 
and  I  went  to  see  the  spot.  There  is  a  custom  on  the  circumcision  of 
a  son  to  invite  some  great  man,  who  takes  the  child  upon  his  knees. 


204  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

I  intend,  if  the  British  Government  gives  me  twenty  thousand  tillahs, 
to  invite  the  King,  place  him  upon  a  seat  undermined,  and  the  moment 
he  sits  down  I  will  blow  him  up.  I  know  that  he  intends  to  kill  me, 
but — (here  the  hypocrite  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  said)  *  In- 
shallah,'  God  willing, — I  shall  put  him  to  death." 

W.  This,  neither  the  British  Government,  nor  any  Christian,  will 
ever  approve  of,  for  Kings  are  considered  by  us  as  Sille-  UUah,  i.  e. 
the  shadows  of  God.  I  will  now  ask  you  a  question,  and  this  it  is, — 
What  did  he  say  when  he  heard  of  my  arrival  ? 

Nayeb.  When  he  received  the  letter  from  the  Khaleefa  of  Mowr, 
announcing  to  him  your  arrival,  he  informed  me  of  it.  I  asked, 
"  What  does  Your  Majesty  intend  to  do  with  him  ?"  He  replied, 
"  If  he  brings  no  letters  from  Dowlat  he  shall  fare  like  the  former, — 
I  put  him  to  death."  But  his  mind  was  so  restless,  that  he  assembled 
about  twenty  Serkerdeha  (grandees),  most  of  them  advising  him  to 
put  you  to  death.  One  of  them,  my  enemy,  who  was  dismissed  on 
my  account  from  his  situation  of  Governor  of  Samarcand,  said  to 
him,  "  Your  Majesty  asks  me  for  my  advice :  I  would  recommend 
Your  Majesty  first  to  kill  the  Nayeb  and  then  the  Englishman/'  I 
received  this  news  only  yesterday,  when  Mullah  Haje  informed  me 
of  it  by  his  wife  ;  but  fear  not,  I  will  stand  by  you,  and  to  prove  I 
have  been  a  friend  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  and  Sir  Alexander 
Burnes,  I  will  show  you  something. 

Here  he  produced  the  following  documents  : 

I.  From  Colonel  Stoddart, 

6  November,  1841. 

I  write  this  document  in  certificate  of  my  sense  of  the  good  offices  rendered  to 
me  at  Bokhara,  by  Nayeb  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  who  was  extremely  kind  to  ma 
while  I  was  recovering,  under  God's  mercy,  from  severe  fever  and  ague  ;  I  was  or- 
dered to  this  house  in  the  beginning  of  this  year,  from  the  Daster-Khanjee,  and 
since  I  have  been  with  him,  he  has  been  of  good  service  in  forwarding  my  commu- 
nications to  and  from  the  Ameer,  and  with  Government,  and  in  aiding  to  obtain 
permission  for  my  departure  from  Bokhara.  I  have  reported,  and  will  further  re- 
port, all  the  details  of  his  good  offices  to  Government,  and  I  give  him  this  as  testi- 
mony of  my  gratification  and  sense  of  his  kindness  by  way  of  introduction  to  any 
Englishman,  and  as  he  has  requested  it,  thinking  it  may  some  day  serve  him,  with 
my  best  prayer  that  God  Almighty  may  bless  him  and  his  family.  I  sign  this 

CHARLES  STODDART,  given  at  the  Garden. 

II.  From  Captain  Conolly. 

Received  from  Nayeb  Abdul  Samut  Khan  three  thousand  tillahs,  which  I  have 
promised  to  get  invested  for  him  in  the  Honourable  East  India  Company's  Fund. 
I  take  this  money  on  public  account,  and  will  write  suggestions  for  allowing  tho 
^Nayeb  twenty  per  cent,  profit  on  it,  (the  Bazaar  rate  of  exchange  to  Cabul,)  when 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA.  205 

I  next  address  the  Envoy  and  Minister  at  Cabul.    This  I  merely  give  as  a  note  of 
hand  to  secure  him  against  accident  to  myself  in  the  interim. 

ARTHUR  CONOLLY,  on  a  special  mission  to  Turkistaun. 

Then,  after  this,  the  Nayeb  produced  a  most  friendly  letter  in  Per- 
sian,  but  signed  in  English  by  Sir  A.  Burnes,  which  entirely  de- 
ceived me  with  respect  to  the  Nayeb's  character;  for  Sir  A.  Burnes 
had  warned  me  against  the  Nayeb  when  I  met  him  at  Cabul ;  so  I 
thought  that  Sir  A.  Burnes  might  have  changed  his  opinion  about  the 
Nayeb,  and  have  been  deceived  with  respect  to  his  character  when 
he  saw  him  in  1832  ;  and  I  was  further  deceived  by  a  letter,  recom- 
mending me  to  him  from  Colonel  Sheil ;  and  lastly,  by  a  despatch 
sent  from  Lord  Aberdeen  to  Colonel  Sheil,  in  which  Abdul  Samut 
Khan  was  recommended  as  a  man  worthy  of  credit. 

The  time  of  evening  approached,  and  the  band  of  soldiers  played 
"  God  save  the  Queen,"  which  most  agreeably  surprised  me.  I  then 
asked  him  whether  there  were  any  other  Europeans  there  ;  he  told 
me  that  there  was  one  Italian,  Giovanni  Orlando  by  name,  who  came 
from  Constantinople  to  Khokand  with  a  Khokand  Ambassador ;  that 
on  the  taking  of  Khokand,  the  King  intended  putting  him  to  death, 
but  that  he,  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  saved  his  life,  and  brought  him  and 
his  wife  to  Bokhara,  where  he  now  gains  his  livelihood  by  watch 
mending.  I  saw  the  man  afterwards ;  he  is  a  good-natured  fellow 
of  fair  capacity,  who  was,  as  he  expresses  himself,  "  Un  povero  mise- 
rabile,  nel  suo  paese,"  which  is  Parma,  and  is  "  Un  povero  misera- 
bile,"  in  Bokhara. 

I  then  asked  whether  there  were  Russian  slaves  at  Bokhara.  He 
replied  that  there  were  in  the  town  anfl  in  the  villages  about  twenty. 
I  said  that  I  should  like  to  ransom  them  ;  I  had  no  authority  for 
doing  so,  but  I  knew  that  my  friends  in  England  would  assist  me.  He 
said  that  he  would  procure  for  me  the  twenty  slaves  for  one  thousand 
tillahs  (ducats).  I  agreed  to  that  in  case  I  could  openly  take  them 
with  me.  He  said  that  he  would  arrange  the  matter.  I  wrote  there- 
fore a  letter  to  Lord  Aberdeen  about  it. 

He  then  said  he  would  give  into  my  charge  three  thousand  tillaha, 
to  invest  in  the  Bank  of  England.  To  this  I  decidedly  objected,  as- 
signing as  my  reason,  1st,  that  I  was  totally  unacquainted  with 
money  matters ;  2nd,  that  it  was  very  dangerous  to  carry  so  much 
money  through  the  desert.  He  replied  that  he  would  send  one  of  hi* 
own  servants  with  me  as  far  as  Meshed,  who  should  carry  it,  and  he 
said,  "  You  will  certainly  not  refuse  when  I  deliver  you  from  such  a 
tyrant." 

At  last  one  of  the  Makhrams  of  the  King  came  on  the  King's  own 


206  NARRATIVE    OP   THE   MISSION 

business,  and  Dil  Assa  Khan  also  approached  us.  After  the  Nayeb 
had  conversed  with  the  Makhram  a  few  minutes,  the  Makhram,  Dil 
Assa  Khan,  and  myself,  sat  down  in  the  open  garden  with  the  Nayeb, 
to  partake  of  a  supper,  when  the  Nayeb  began,  "  But  Mullah 
Youssuf  Wolff,  about  one  matter  I  have  been  astonished,  and  that  is, 
that  you  came  here  with  such  a  shabby  present  for  such  a  great 
King  as  Nasir  Ullah  Behadur,  who  is  a  Padishah,  and  the  Padishah 
of  Bokhara  Shereef,  and  of  Samarcand  of  the  tribe  of  Mankid,  to 
bring  for  such  a  King  only  a  present  valued  in  the  market-place  at 
ten  tillahs  !  You  ought  to  purchase  here  for  the  Padishah  nine  times 
nine  shawls,  according  to  the  usage  of  the  country,  every  shawl  to 
the  value  of  thirty  tillahs,  so  that  you  will  have  to  incur  an  expense 
of  eighty-one  times  thirty,  which  will  amount  to  two  thousand  four 
hundred  and  thirty  tillahs,  but  a  little  sum  for  the  great  Power  of 
England." 

I  then  said  to  the  Nayeb,  in  the  presence  of  the  Makhram  and  Dil 
Assa  Khan,  "  Now  I  must  make  you  acquainted  thoroughly  with  my 
circumstances,  and  with  every  circumstance  connected  with  my  mis- 
sion to  Bokhara.  The  Government  of  England  was  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  the  report  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly's  death  was  true,  and 
a  mighty  vizier,  Sir  Robert  Peel  by  name,  openly  stated  all  circum- 
stances in  the  House,  where  all  the  Grandees  of  the  Empire  assem- 
ble ;  but  some  friends  of  mine  and  myself  doubted  the  fact,  especially 
as  I  was  well  treated  at  Bokhara  twelve  years  ago.  These  few 
friends  have  allowed  me  one  thousand  tillahs  for  my  journey  to  and 
from  Bokhara.  If  Stoddart  and  Conolly  had  been  alive,  I  might 
have  thought  myself  authorized  to  spend  two  thousand  four  hundred 
and  thirty  tillahs,  and  even  more,  for  their  release,  but  as  they  are 
dead,  I  have  neither  authority  from  my  friends,  who  have  sent  me, 
nor  from  Government." 

Nayeb.  Stoddart  and  Conolly's  pay  was  but  two  hundred  rupees  a 
month,  and  yet  they  would  have  paid  one  hundred  thousand  tillahs ; 
how  much  would  you  pay  if  you  were  imprisoned  ? 

Here  I  perceived  the  height  of  my  unguarded  observation,  and  I 
began  to  tremble,  and  was  already  somewhat  afraid  that  the  Nayeb 
was  not  quite  sincere.  The  Makhram  departed,  and  it  was  already 
about  midnight,  when  suddenly  Makhram  Kasem  came  from  the  city 
to  the  garden,  breathing  hard,  the  gate  was  shut,  but  His  Majesty  had 
ordered  the  gate  to  be  opened.  The  Makhram  told  us  that  when  he 
brought  the  written  conversation  held  between  the  Nayeb  and  myself, 
Hasrat  (His  Majesty)  was  sitting  with  his  head  supported  by  his 
hands,  when  suddenly  he  started  and  exclaimed,  "  What  did  Yottssuf 


OF   DR.   WOLFF  TO   BOKHARA.  207 

WolfF  say  ?"  They  gave  him  the  paper  to  read ;  he  immediately 
sent  word  that  the  Ambassador  would  be  ready  in  a  few  days  to  de- 
part with  me  to  England,  with  presents  for  the  Queen.  "  Now,"  said 
the  Nayeb,  "  you  have  permission  to  leave,  and  after  to-morrow  we 
send  for  Morteza  the  Kafila  Bashee,  who  goes  to  Meshed,  and  before 
you  leave  there  will  also  be  ready  articles  of  Conolly  and  Stoddart." 
At  this  period,  by  order  of  the  Ameer,  I  addressed  the  following 
letter  to  Captain  Grover,  giving  the  official  details  of  the  execution 
of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  : 

Sir,  Bokhara,  May  5,  1845. 

I  write  this  letter  in  the  house  of  Nayeb  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  the  chief  of  the 
Artillery  and  of  the  Arsenal  of  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Bokhara,  a  sincere  and  ex- 
cellent friend  of  the  British  nation,  and  in  the  presence  also  of  His  Majesty  the 
Ameer's  Makhram  (private  chamberlain) :  and  I  write  this  letter  officially,  by  order 
of  the  King  of  Bokhara,  to  whom  I  give  a  translation  of  the  letter,  and  therefore 
confine  myself  only  to  the  most  necessary  topics,  without  comment,  and  without  any 
observation  on  my  part. 

1st.  On  the  29th  of  April,  the  King  stated  to  me,  by  medium  of  the  above-named 
Nayeb,  and  in  the  presence  of  Mullah  Kasem,  the  King's  Makhram  (private  cham- 
berlain), that  he  had  put  to  death,  in  the  month  of  Sarratan,  1259,  Colonel  Stoddart 
and  Captain  Conolly.  Colonel  Stoddart  was  put  to  death,  firstly,  on  account  of  his 
having  treated  Royalty  with  the  greatest  disrespect  on  different  occasions  ;  secondly, 
that  he  had  turned  Mussulman,  and  then  returned  to  the  Christian  faith ;  thirdly, 
that  he  had  promised  to  get  letters  from  England,  and  fourteen  months  had  elapsed 
without  receiving  any  answer,  though  the  King  had  erected  Japar  khanas  (post- 
houses)  on  his  account  And  with  regard  to  Conolly,  that  he  had  been  put  to  death 
for  having  induced  the  Khans  of  Khiva  and  Khokand  to  wagf  war  against  the  King 
of  Bokhara,  &c.  His  Majesty  has  given  me  permission  to  leave  Bokhara  on  the 
9th  of  May,  i.  e.  Friday  next. 

From  Meshed  I  shall  write  everything  more  fully. 

I  am,  Sir, 
Your  humble  and  obedient  servant, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF,  Mullah  of  England. 

A  musical  band  played  "  God  save  Victoria  our  Queen."  They  were  Hindees 
from  Lahore,  formerly  in  the  service  of  Runjeet  Singh. 


208  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Colleges  of  Bokhara.  Manner  of  Lecturing.  Derveeshes  fed  by  Ameer.  Jewish 
Synagouge  at  Bokhara.  The  King  of  Bokhara  attached  to  the  Jewish  Religion. 
Bokhara  and  Samarcand.  Singular  Report  of  Dr.  Wolff,  that  he  understood 
Beventy-two  Languages,  knew  seventy-two  Religions,  and  had  conversed  with 
seventy -two  Nations,  and  that  he  had  come  from  Sulmistaun  to  convert  the  Bok- 
harese.  Makhram  sent  from  the  Ameer  with  a  Question,  How  the  Authenticity 
of  the  Christian  Religion  is  shown  ?  Answer.  Makhram  sent  again,  with  a  Re- 
quest that  the  History  of  Muhammed,  as  related  by  the  learned  Men  of  Europe, 
should  be  written  by  Dr.  Wolff,  and  transmitted  to  the  King.  Dr.  Wolff  consents, 
on  the  condition  that  he  should  not  be  forced  to  embrace  Muhammedanism.  Dr. 
Wolff  writes  the  Life  of  Muhammed.  Life  of  Muhammed. 

THE  day  following  the  conversation  with  the  Nayeb,  given  in  the 
previous  Chapter  (it  was  on  a  Monday),  the  Makhram,  Dil  Assa 
Khan,  and  myself,  mounted  our  horses.  Dil  Assa  Khan  now  began 
to  ride  near  me,  the  Makhram  Kasem  spoke  in  a  friendly  manner, 
and  pointed  out  to  me  the  colleges  of  Bokhara,  which  are  splendid 
and  beautiful  buildings. 

In  these  colleges  the  writings  of  the  learned  Sunnees,  as  well  as  of 
the  Sheahs,  are  read  and  discussed.  Oratory,  rhetoric,  poetry,  and 
logic,  are  studied,  besides  the  Koran  ;  disputations  are  carried  on  in 
a  scholastic  manner;  Jelaal,  Beydawee,  are  read.  They  take  as 
their  guide  the  schools  established  in  Yemen.  And,  as  I  have  wit- 
nessed it  when  in  Yemen  in  the  year  1837,  it  is  remarkable  that  the 
very  mode  of  opening  their  lectures  is  taken  from  the  manner  adopted 
in  Yemen.  The  teacher  as  well  as  disciple  lifts  up  his  eyes  first  to 
heaven,  the  palms  of  his  hands  are  then  turned  to  his  face  while  the 
Fatkha  is  recited,  and  then  they  stroke  their  beards ;  and  I  must  ob- 
serve that  all  judicial  transactions  are  opened  in  this  manner,  and 
after  a  present  is  given  from  a  superior  to  an  inferior,  it  is  also  reci- 
ted. The  same  custom  exists  in  Yemen,  and  only  in  Yemen,  by 
which  it  appears  to  me  that  Bokhara  has  taken  her  customs  and  man- 
ners from  the  learned  of  Yemen.  They  have  a  convent  at  Bokhara, 
dedicated  to  the  famous  derveesh  Mawlana  Jelaal  Uddeen,  who  cen- 
turies ago  went  from  Bokhara  to  Iconium.  The  derveeshes  at  Bok- 
hara are  fed  at  the  expense  of  the  Ameer,  but  he  does  not  allow  them 
any  impertinent  acts,  and  frequently  bastinadoes  and  puts  them  to 
death. 


TMUVBBSITT 


©ASH  ©IF  IBQHDSLfiAA, 


Harper  &   Brothers  .  ".New  Tofk . 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  209 

The  Synagogue  of  the  Jews  at  Bokhara  is  a  very  ancient  building, 
but  quite  out  of  repair.  The  Ameer  gave  his  consent  during  my  stay 
there  to  the  Jews,  to  repair  the  synagogue  a  little,  but  not  to  extend 
the  ground.  They  have  here  an  ancient  MS.  of  Daniel,  and  in  Chap. 
VIII.  is  the  number  two  thousand  four  hundred,  instead  of  two  thou- 
sand three  hundred. 

Though  the  King  of  Bokhara  is  a  friend  to  none,  yet  he  seems  to 
have  some  predilection  for  the  ceremonies  of  the  Jewish  religion,  and 
frequently  goes  to  the  house  of  Rabbi  Simha  on  the  day  of  Taberna- 
cles, and  sees  them  celebrate  that  feast,  and  partakes  of  their  dinner. 
He  has  never  seized  on  a  Jewish  woman,  as  he  has  done  on  the  wives 
of  his  great  ministers.  He  has  even  seized  on  the  wife  of  the  excel- 
lent Grand  Cazi,  whose  awful  portrait  we  subjoin.  He  is  also  anx- 
ious to  learn  from  them  their  views  of  the  Messiah. 

I  shall  now  take  this  opportunity  of  saying  a  few  words  on  the  cities 
of  Bokhara  and  Samarcand. 

Bokhara  is  situated  in  39°  27'  north  latitude,  80°  19'  east  longi- 
tude. It  is  surrounded  by  deserts,  and  watered  by  the  little  river 
Waf  kan,  which  flows  between  forests  of  fruit-trees  and  gardens.  It 
has  eleven  gates,  and  a  circumference  of  fifteen  English  miles  ;  three 
hundred  and  sixty  mosques,  twenty-two  caravanserays,  many  baths 
and  bazaars ;  and  the  old  palace  called  Ark,  built  by  Arslan  Khan 
one  thousand  years  ago,  and  has  about  one  hundred  splendid  colleges. 
The  houses  have  neither  roofs  nor  windows.  The  population  amounts 
to  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand,  composed  of  Tatshicks,  Nogays, 
AfFghauns,  Mervee,  Usbecks,  and  ten  thousand  Jews,  who  are  dyers 
and  silk  traders,  and  must  wear  a  small  cap,  and  girdle  around  their 
waist,  to  be  distinguished  from  the  JVIuhammedans.  There  are  seve- 
ral thousand  slaves.  There  are  about  three  hundred  merchants  from 
Scinde,  and  many  derveeshes.  Whole  streets  contain  nothing  but 
shops  and  magazines  for  merchants  from  all  the  parts  of  Turkistaun, 
Cashgar,  Hindustaun,  and  Russia.  There  are  great  numbers  of 
country  houses,  with  gardens  called  Jehaar-Baghs,  all  around  Bok- 
hara. Most  delightful  villages  are  to  be  found  eight  miles  around 
Bokhara.  A  sickness  prevails,  chiefly  in  the  city,  called  Riskta — an 
immense  worm  comes  out  of  the  knees,  and  makes  people  frequently 
lame  for  life ;  it  is  ascribed  to  the  water.  Ophthalmia  is  also  preva- 
lent. There  is  only  one  Jewish  physician  of  some  skill,  who  prides 
himself  on  knowing  the  sense  of  the  word  "  antimonial,"  and  perpetu- 
ally uses  it,  as  Abdul  Samut  Khan  prides  himself  on  knowing  how  to 
say,  "Halt!  front!" 

27 


210  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

Karkee,  near  the  Amoo,  is  a  strong  town,  with  one  hundred  and 
fifty  houses,  about  one  hundred  English  miles  from  Bokhara. 

In  the  cities  of  Oratepa,  Karakol,  and  Jesagh,  the  Usbeck  chiefs 
called  Serkerdeha  have  their  country  houses,  but  they  are  now  much 
oppressed  by  Nasr  Ullah  Behadur,  the  present  King  of  Bokhara,  who 
often  takes  possession  of  their  wives  and  sons.  ****** 

The  chief  of  the  mullahs  at  Bokhara  has  the  title  of  Mullah  Ke- 
laun  (grand  mullah),  a  man  of  excellent  character,  who  deplores  the 
murder  of  poor  Stoddart  and  Conolly. 

Of  Samarcand,  the  rival  city,  formerly  the  place  of  residency  of 
Timur,  in  the  midst  of  the  beautiful  valley  Soghd,  I  have  to  remark 
that  it  was  not  long  since  the  seat  of  the  King  of  Bokhara  in  the  time 
of  winter,  but  as  this  town  is  frequently  in  a  state  of  mutiny,  he  seldom 
goes  there.  It  was  known  in  the  time  of  Alexander  the  Great  by  the 
name  of  Marakanda  Regia  Sogdianorum  ;  and  contains  the  sepulchre 
of  Timur.  It  is  still  the  seat  of  Oriental  literature,  and  called  "  The 
Ornament  of  the  Face  of  the  Earth."  It  has  a  wall  of  clay,  and 
forty  thousand  inhabitants  ;  a  beautiful  palace,  and  many  houses  of 
marble  ;  many  mosques  and  colleges.  It  was  formerly  inhabited  by 
Chinese,  who  manufactured  paper  of  silk,  and  it  once  had  the  name 
of  Bokhara-Tsheen,  but  received  the  present  name  from  the  Conqueror 
Samar,  after  Christ  643.  Oologh  Beyk  erected  there  an  observatory. 
There  are  two  thousand  Jews  there.  Near  it  is  a  little  town  called 
Sheeras,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  poet  Hafiz  alluded  to  Sheeras,  near 
Samarcand,  in  his  lines  : 


If  that  Turkish  girl  of  Sheeras  would  give  me  her  heart, 

I  would  give  for  one  mole  of  her  cheek,  Samarcand  and  Bokhara. 

For  there  are  no  Turkish  girls  at  Sheeras,  in  Persia. 

A  report  was  spread  abroad,  I  found,  throughout  the  whole  country 
of  Bokhara,  that  Mullah  Joseph  Wolff,  the  grand  derveesh  from  Eng, 
land,  was  acquainted  with  seventy-two  languages,  with  seventy-two 
religions,  and  had  conversed  with  seventy-two  nations  of  the  earth. 
That  further  I  had  been  in  Sulmistaun,  i.  e.  the  land  of  Darkness, 
Tartarus,  and  that  I  had  called  on  the  Ameer  to  compel  all  the  inhab- 
itants of  Bokhara  to  embrace  the  religion  of  Jesus. 

The  Ameer  sent  one  day  to  me  the  Makhram,  with  the  following 
question,  of  which  I  was  obliged  to  write  down  the  answer  :  "  How  do 
the  Christian  mullahs  prove  the  truth  of  their  religion  ?" 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  211 

I  replied :  I.  That  its  Divine  Founder,  Jesus,  and  his  religion,  were 
predicted,  centuries  before  his  coming  on  earth,  by  the  prophets  of  old. 

II.  By  the  miracles  which  Jesus '  performed,  and  which  miracles 
were  admitted  to  have  been  performed  by  Him  by  his  own  enemies. 

III.  By  the  life  and  conversation  of  Jesus. 

IV.  By  the  prophecies  which  He  uttered  and  which  were  fulfilled ; 
as,  for  instance,  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  was  predicted  by  Him. 

V.  By  the  effect  which  Christianity  produc  d.     Christianity  teaches 
a  man  to  set  a  proper  value  on  human  blood.     The  Christians  feel 
more  horror,  consequently,  than  many  other  nations  at  the  shedding  of 
human  blood. 

VI.  Christianity  fills  the  heart  with  compassion  and  love,  even  to- 
wards others  who  are  not  our  own  people.     The  Christians  are  the 
only  people  who  have  established  houses  for  the  sick,  where  they  re- 
ceive attendance  and  medicine  without  money,  and  also  houses  for 
aged  people  and  for  widows  and  orphans. 

On  another  day,  when  surrounded  by  many  Kalmucks,  Merve, 
Usbecks,  Jews,  Kafer  Seeah  Poosh,  Hindus  from  Chicarpore,  together 
with  Dil  Assa  Khan,  His  Majesty  sent  to  me  his  Makhram,  with  the 
following  command, — that  I  should  give  him  the  history  of  their 
Prophet  Muhammed,  as  related  by  the  learned  men  among  the  English 
and  other  European  nations.  This  was  rather  a  delicate  point,  and  I 
therefore  asked  His  Majesty  first,  whether  this  would  lead  to  any  at- 
tempt at  forcing  me  to  become  a  Muhammedan.  He  sent  me  word, 
"  Not  in  the  least."  I  wrote  down  as  follows : 

May  God  preserve  Nasir  Ullah  Behadur,  Ameer  of  the  Mussulmans,  and 
Shaheen-Shah  of  Bokhara,  the  most  learned  of  the  Ulema  of  the  Bokhara  Shereef. 

Your  Majesty's  wisdom,  anxious  to  know  the  customs  and  manners  and  religious 
sentiments  of  other  nations,  imitating  in  this  respect  your  great  ancestor  Timur 
Kurikanee,  has  graciously  ordered  me  to  write  down  the  History  of  Muhammed  as 
related  by  Christian  historians ;  a  task  most  difficult  for  me  to  perform,  since,  1st,  I 
am  not  so  well  versed  in  the  Persian  language  as  to  write  it  in  an  elegant  style,  as 
such  a  subject  deserves ;  2nd,  I  wish  to  perform  the  task  in  such  a  manner  that  it 
may  be  consistent  with  truth,  and  at  the  same  time  not  to  wound  the  feelings  of  any 
one.  But  as,  according  to  the  religion  of  Jesus,  we  must  obey  the  commands  of 
Kings  as  far  as  their  commands  do  not  insult  the  commands  of  Jesus ;  and  Your 
Majesty  having  promised  that  my  undertaking  will  not  lead  to  a  renunciation  of  my 
religion,  I  submit  to  your  Majesty's  command  by  thus  writing  down  the  History  of 
Muhammed  the  son  of  Abd  Ullah,  the  Prophet  of  the  Mussulmans. 

The  Empire  of  Rome  was  in  the  decline ;  the  followers  of  Jesus  forgetting  the 
precepts  of  the  Anjeel  (Gospel) — given  up  to  vice ;  Persia  was  enervated ;  the 
Government  of  the  Yoonaanean,  residing  in  the  place  called  at  that  time  Byzan- 
tium, and  now  Stambool,  was  given  to  bad  morals ;  and  Arabistaun  was  divided  by 
internal  dissensions  hi  the  affairs  of  this  world  as  well  as  in  religion.  No  wonder 


212  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

that  God  sent  his  chastisement  upon  all  these  nations.  A  man,  therefore,  was 
wanted  to  achieve  the  overthrow  of  Asia  and  part  of  Africa.  Such  a  man  ap- 
peared in  the  person  of  Muhammed,  of  the  family  of  Hasham,  of  the  tribe  of 
Koreish. 

The  office  of  Superintendent  (Shereef)  of  the  Kaaba  at  Mecca,  had  been  at  first 
hereditary  in  the  family  of  Ishmael ;  afterwards,  for  some  centuries,  it  was  vested 
in  the  tribe  of  Khoza  ;  and  in  the  year  464  after  Jesus,  the  tribe  of  Koreish  deprived 
the  Khozaites  of  this  office  by  cunning,  and  afterwards  by  open  force.  The  office 
of  Shereef  of  the  Kaaba  was  connected  with  certain  advantages :  he  that  occupied 
so  high  a  situation  enjoyed  not  only  great  influence  over  the  city  of  Mecca,  but 
also,  as  the  holy  house  was  an  object  of  veneration  amongst  all  the  tribes,  over  the 
whole  of  Arabia.  This  high  dignity,  combined  with  the  government  of  Mecca, 
descended  through  four  generations  to  Abd  Almutaleb,  son  of  Hasham,  grandfather 
to  Muhammed,  the  prince  and  chief  of  his  tribe.  Abd  Almutaleb  had  rendered  tho 
most  essential  services  to  his  country.  To  prevent  general  famine,  the  father  of 
Abd  Almutaleb  had  in  aforetime  made  provision  by  permanent  regulations  for  regular 
importations  of  corn,  by  means  of  two  numerous  caravans,  which  departed  and 
returned  regularly ;  and  Abd  Almutaleb  himself  had  liberated  his  country  by  his 
valour  and  prudence  from  the  yoke  of  the  Abyssinians.  His  liberality  was  not  only 
extended  to  men,  but  the  birds  of  the  air  and  the  beasts  of  the  field  felt  the  effect  of 
his  benevolence.  On  a  certain  day  of  every  month  he  fed  all  the  poor  of  the  city 
upon  the  roof  of  his  house  ;  and  also  directed  his  servants  to  carry  appropriate  food 
to  the  beasts  on  the  hills.  Abd  Almutaleb  was  crowned  also  by  the  plenitude  of 
domestic  blessings :  he  had  thirteen  hopeful  sons  and  six  beautiful  daughters.  Abd 
Ullah  was  one  of  his  younger  sons,  and  his  favourite  child.  He  was  the  jewel  of 
Arabian  youths.  But  not  less  beautiful  and  modest  was  Amina,  Waheb's  daughter, 
a  Jewess  of  the  noble  family  of  the  Zarhites. 

Abd  Almutaleb  married  his  favourite  son  to  this  beautiful  girl.  But  in  the  fourth 
year  of  her  marriage,  when  she  was  about  to  have  a  child,  her  husband,  on  a  journey 
which  he  had  undertaken  for  commercial  purposes,  died  at  Yatreb,  now  called 
Medinah.  Abd  Ullah  had  had  no  time  to  acquire  riches ;  the  whole  property  he 
left  to  his  disconsolate  widow  consisted  of  five  camels  and  one  Abyssinian  slave-girl, 
Barek  by  name.  Two  months  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  on  the  12th  day  of 
Raba  (April  10,  569  A.  D.),  in  the  afternoon,  Amina  gave  birth  to  a  boy,  who 
received  from  his  grandfather  the  name  of  Muhammed. 

To  celebrate  the  happy  delivery  of  his  daughter,  Abd  Almutaleb  prepared  a 
splendid  feast,  to  which  he  invited  the  most  distinguished  of  his  family ;  and  in  their 
presence  he  gave  to  his  grandson  the  name  of  Muhammed  ;  and  the  Arabian  histo- 
rians add,  that  the  family  of  Koreish,  astonished  at  this,  said  to  Abd  Almutaleb, 
"  Why  dost  thou  call  the  boy  thus,  as  no  other  of  thy  tribe  bears  that  name  ?" 
Abd  Almutaleb  replied,  "  God  shall  glorify  him  in  heaven  whom  He  has  created  on 
earth."  We  Christians,  however,  say  that  the  miraculous  events  which  are  said  to 
have  taken  place  at  his  birth,  according  to  Abulfeda,  Elmakin,  and  Masoodee,  are 
evidently  imitations  of  the  Gospel  narrative  of  the  birth  of  Christ ;  for  instance, 
that  rays  of  light  appeared  in  heaven,  which  illuminated  all  the  towns,  villages,  and 
markets  throughout  Arabia  and  Syria ;  and  even  many  Muhammedan  writers 
doubt  these  facts,  even  among  the  Sunnee. 

Muhammed  was  consigned  to  the  care  of  a  nurse,  Halima  by  name  ;  and  when 
he  was  old  enough  he  kept  the  flock  of  his  foster  brothers  and  sisters.  The  boy  grew 
up  thriving,  lively  hi  spirits,  and  strong  hi  body,  but  was  attacked  by  epileptic  fits, 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  213 

which  rapidly  increased  to  such  a  degree,  that  Halima,  in  fear,  returned  the  boy  to 
the  care  of  his  mother.  But  his  mother  died  in  his  sixth  year,  on  a  journey  to  see 
her  uncle,  and  was  buried  at  Al-Aba,  between  Medinah  and  Mecca.  Abd  Almu- 
taleb  undertook  the  guardianship  of  Muhammed ;  but  in  the  boy's  eighth  year  he 
also  died,  at  the  age  of  a  hundred  and  ten  years ;  and  in  his  dying  hour  recom- 
mended the  orphan  to  the  care  of  Abu  Taleb,  who  became  his  successor  in  the 
office  of  Shereef. 

Abu  Taleb  was  a  wise  man,  highly  respected  at  Mecca  and  in  the  whole  sur- 
rounding country ;  he  was  merchant,  warrior,  and  hunter.  He  undertook  the 
education  of  Muhammed,  exercised  him  in  military  hardihood,  and  tried  to  inspire 
him  with  courage,  by  taking  him  with  him  in  his  expeditions  for  hunting  the  lion. 
Besides,  he  made  the  boy  acquainted  with  mercantile  business,  for  which  purpose 
he  took  him  on  a  journey  to  Syria.  Among  his  travelling  companions  were  Abu- 
Bekr  and  Belal,  who  became  afterwards  his  most  zealous  partisans  in  the  promul- 
gation of  his  new  religion.  On  that  journey  they  came  near  Bosra,  in  Syria,  near 
to  Damascus,  where  Abu  Taleb  was  acquainted  with  the  monks  of  the  Mandaye, 
who  resided  there.  The  monk  Boohyra,  of  that  convent,  observed,  "  Muhammed 
will  become  a  great  man,"  and  Muhammed  believed  himself  the  more  to  be  a 
chosen  vessel  in  the  hand  of  Providence.  He  had  frequently  heard  wise  men,  in 
the  house  of  his  uncle,  express  the  necessity  of  combining  together  the  conflicting 
religions  of  the  Arabs  into  one  pure  religion,  and  reducing  all  the  tribes  of  the  nation 
under  the  obedience  of  one  common  creed.  Besides,  the  historical  traditions  of  the 
Arabs  had  much  analogy  to  those  of  the  Hebrews,  and  coincided  with  them  in  a 
great  number  of  points ;  for,  as  they  were  of  the  Shemitic  race,  they  deduced  their 
origin  from  Abraham  and  the  other  holy  patriarchs  of  the  primitive  world.  Hence 
the  traditions  of  a  purer  faith,  and  the  simple  patriarchal  worship  of  the  Deity, 
appear  never  to  have  been  totally  extinguished  among  the  Arabs.  In  this  manner 
a  spark  was  thrown  into  the  glowing  imagination  of  Muhammed,  which  produced 
that  mighty  Arabian  conflagration  whose  flames  were  scattered  to  Turkistaun, 
Hindustaun,  and  Affghanistaun  by  the  sons  of  the  Desert. 

After  their  return  to  Mecca  they  resumed  their  usual  occupations,  Muhammed,  as 
before,  spending  his  time  in  commercial  pursuits  and  military  exploits;  and  on 
account  of  his  tall  figure  and  graceful  deportment,  he  was  considered  the  finest  and 
handsomest  man  in  Arabia.  When  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  a  feud  broke  out 
between  the  tribe  of  Koreish  and  the  two  tribes  of  Kenan  (the  Rechabites)  and 
Hawazan.  Under  the  order  of  Abu  Taleb,  Muhammed  had  the  command  of  a 
small  body  of  horse ;  and  he  distinguished  himself  so  much  by  his  courage  and 
intrepidity,  as  well  as  by  his  judicious  arrangements,  that,  by  the  unanimous  voice 
of  his  allies,  as  well  as  his  opponents,  the  victory  was  ascribed  to  the  valour  of 
Muhammed.  Abu  Taleb,  and  the  house  of  Hasham  were  much  gratified  with  the 
military  glory  of  Muhammed. 

Other  circumstances  also  combined  to  raise  the  reputation  of  Muhammed.  Long 
before  the  time  of  Muhammed,  the  Kaaba  of  Mecca  had  been  constituted  the  great 
sanctuary  of  Arabian  worship.  It  contained  the  Black  Stone,  the  object  of  the 
religious  devotion  of  the  Arabs  from  a  very  ancient  period.  We  meet  with  a  similar 
form  of  worship  among  the  Seikhs  at  Lahore,  with  regard  to  the  stone  callefl 
Salkram.  When  the  tribe  of  Koreish  began  to  rebuild  this  temple  they  were  at  a 
loss  to  know  how  the  Black  Stone  should  be  fixed  in  the  wall,  and  what  hands 
should  touch  it,  when,  unexpectedly,  the  lot  fell  to  young  Muhammed.  He  received 
from  this  moment  the  name  of  Alameen,  the  trustworthy.  Khadijah,  a  rich  widow, 


214  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

took  him  into  her  service.  On  behalf  of  his  mistress  he  returned  to  Syria,  and 
renewed  his  acquaintance  with  Boohyra  at  Bosra.  Boohyra  made  him  acquainted 
with  the  contents  of  ancient  books ;  and  Solomon  the  Jew  spoke  to  him  of  the 
expectations  of  the  Jewish  nation ;  and  the  hope,  which  the  Jews  still  entertained, 
of  the  future  coming  of  a  Deliverer  and  Prophet,  operated  powerfully  on  the  mind 
and  imagination  of  Muhammed. 

In  the  service  of  Khudijah,  Muhammed  undertook  other  journeys  to  distant 
Arabia  and  the  Persian  Gulf ;  crossed  the  Euphrates,  and  stood  on  the  ruins  of 
Babylon,  and  visited  Mesopotamia  and  Persia.  He  no  longer  travelled  as  a  mere 
commercial  agent,  but  tried  to  enrich  his  mind  and  intellect  by  various  sciences ; 
wherever  he  came  he  tried  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  state  of  the  country, 
with  the  laws  and  character  of  the  natives,  and  especially  the  different  religions ; 
and  the  never-ceasing  divisions,  wherever  he  came,  were  the  chief  object  of  his 
attention.  Burning  with  a  desire  of  knowledge,  he  associated  with  every  one  of 
whom  he  believed  he  could  learn  something.  Sometimes  he  frequented  the  company 
of  the  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist,  of  Zoroaster,  Manichseans,  and  other  sects. 

One  day,  as  Khadijah  was  walking  with  her  companions  on  the  terrace  of  her 
house,  she  saw  Muhammed  returning  from  his  journey.  Khadijah  sent  one  of  her 
slave  girls  after  him,  requesting  him  to  become  her  husband ;  and  she  bestowed  her 
hand  on  him  when  his  whole  property  consisted  of  five  camels  and  an  Ethiopian 
maid-servant.  A  splendid  feast  was  given  at  the  wedding,  to  which  all  the  inhab- 
itants of  Mecca  were  invited.  Twenty-four  years  Muhammed  and  Khadijah  lived 
together,  contented  and  happy,  blessed  with  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  None  of 
the  sons  survived — the  daughters  grew  up ;  their  names  were  Fatima,  Zaima, 
Rukaya,  and  Usu  Khaltoon.  He  lived  fifteen  years,  pursuing  his  public  functions 
with  great  conscientiousness,  treating  all  inferiors  with  great  mildness,  and  was  a 
most  tender  husband ;  his  moral  character  without  reproach — his  outward  conduct 
without  blame. 

He  continued  for  some  time  his  commercial  journeyings,  when  suddenly  he  lost  at 
once  all  desire  to  travel,  loved  retirement  more  and  more,  and  at  last  retreated, 
during  part  of  every  year,  to  a  cave  three  hours  distant  from  Mecca,  giving  himself 
up  to  meditation  ;  when  suddenly  he  declared  himself — first  of  all  to  Khadijah  and 
his  children — as  the  long-desired  Rasool  Ullah,  Ambassador  of  God.  It  was  in  the 
night  time  of  the  23rd  and  24th  of  Ramadan,  in  the  night  of  the  divine  decree,  that 
Muhammed  declared  he  had  heard  a  voice  upon  the  mountain  of  Abuk  Beis. 
When  he  descended  the  mountain, — as  the  Arabian  historians  some  centuries  after 
his  death  relate, — a  heavenly  light  suddenly  illuminated  the  country  around,  and 
the  Koran  descended  from  heaven.  The  bearer  was,  according  to  your  Prophet's 
account,  the  angel  Gabriel,  who  also  had  taught  him  to  read  ;  and  he  said  he  had 
been  hailed  by  the  angel  Gabriel  as  the  highest  Prophet  of  God — which  we  Chris- 
tians do  not  believe.  The  angel  took  the  Koran  back  with  him  to  Heaven,  but 
gave  Muhammed  the  assurance  that  he  would,  from  time  to  time,  as  the  occasion 
arose,  give  him  portions  of  it,  divided  into  Suras.  Khadijah  declared  herself  his 
convert ;  Waraka,  a  Jew,  and  translator  of  the  Bible,  also  became  his  convert ; 
after  him  Ali ;  and  Abd  Ullah,  who  received  the  name  of  Abu  Bekr,  the  father  of 
the  virgin,  as  Muhammed  married  his  daughter. 

Abu  Bekr,  thirty-four  years  of  age,  a  man  of  great  weight,  engaged  other  men 
of  authority  to  embrace  the  doctrines  of  your  Prophet.  However,  Muhammed 
confined  himself  first  of  all  to  his  nearest  relations  and  acquaintance,  to  whom  he 
preached,  sometimes  in  eloquent  prose,  at  others  in  verses,  the  dogmas  of  his  religion, 


OF    DR     WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  215 

and  in  three  years  he  had  made  about  forty  converts.  At  last  he  declared  that 
Gabriel  had  ordered  him  to  preach  openly  and  from  the  house-top  to  the  whole 
nation. 

He  invited  the  tribe  of  Hasham  to  a  frugal  dinner ;  after  the  repast  was  over  he 
offered  to  them  uninterrupted  happiness  in  this  life,  as  well  as  in  eternity,  by  em- 
bracing his  doctrine.  The  guests  looked  at  him  with  much  astonishment,  believing 
him  to  be  mad.  Muhammed  threatened  them  with  eternal  hell-fire,  which  inflamed 
Abu  Lahab,  one  of  his  uncles,  with  such  fury,  that  he  cast  a  stone  at  him,  when 
Ali  interfered,  and  declared  that  he  would  knock  out  the  teeth,  force  out  the  eyes, 
tear  the  entrails,  and  break  the  bones  of  every  one  of  those  who  dared  to  resist  the 
Prophet.  Muhammed  was  so  rejoiced  at  the  emphatic  confession  of  Ali,  that  he 
embraced  him  as  a  brother ;  but  when  he  went  so  far  as  to  nominate  Ali,  who  at 
that  time  was  fourteen,  as  his  Khaleefa,  whom  every  one  was  to  obey,  all  the  guests 
burst  out  into  a  fit  of  laughter.  The  bad  success  of  this  first  attempt  was  far  from 
discouraging  Muhammed ;  under  the  protection  of  Abu  Taleb,  who,  though  not  a 
convert  himself,  still  favoured  his  nephew's  enterprise,  Muhammed  appeared  before 
the  people  with  the  pretension  of  a  Prophet,  and  announced  his  doctrine  by  the 
name  of  Islam.  The  more  resistance  he  encountered,  the  more  he  pressed  forward. 

The  Koreish  attempted  to  crush  him,  but  in  vain.  Muhammed,  however,  too 
weak  to  resist  openly,  advised  his  followers  to  fly  from  Mecca.  Eighty-three  of 
them,  with  their  wives  and  children,  took  shelter  under  the  King  of  Abyssinia ;  but 
Muhammed  remained  at  Mecca  under  the  protection  of  his  uncle.  The  principal 
men  of  the  Koreish  went  to  Abu  Taleb,  and  said :  "  Thy  nephew  reviles  our  reli- 
gion and  sage  ancestors,  and,  accusing  them  of  ignorance  and  infidelity,  makes  dis- 
sensions and  rebellion."  Muhammed  replied,  "  Even  if  they  were  to  place  the  sun 
to  my  right  hand,  and  the  moon  to  my  left,  they  shall  not  bring  me  back  from  the 
road  I  have  taken."  However,  when  the  Koreish  made  an  attempt  upon  his  life, 
he  took  an  asylum  in  a  fortified  house  upon  the  Hill  Zaffa,  near  Mecca,  defended  by 
thirty-nine  followers.  He  scarcely  had  remained  there  one  month,  when  his  party 
gained  the  important  acquisition  of  two  powerful  men, — that  of  Hamsa,  Muham- 
med's  uncle,  and  Omar.  Under  their  protection,  Muhammed  left  Zaffa,  and,  with 
an  armed  escort,  he  approached  the  Kaaba,  and  boldly  preached  in  the  open  mar- 
ket-places of  Mecca.  The  Koreish  challenged  him  to  perform  a  miracle.  His 
answers  were,  on  one  occasion,  "  That  he  was  commissioned  to  be  a  preacher  only, 
and  not  a  worker  of  miracles."  At  another  time,  he  replied,  "  That  God,  out  of 
mercy,  would  not  perform  miracles ;  for  it  would  only  redound  to  the  greater  con- 
demnation of  the  infidels,  who  after  all  would  not  believe." 

The  Koreish  assembled  in  the  valley  of  Mecca,  in  the  plain  of  Muhazzab,  in 
order  to  consult.  The  result  of  their  consultation  was,  not  to  lay  down  their  arms 
until  they  had  exterminated  the  declared  enemy  of  the  state,  with  his  whole  family, 
either  by  the  sword,  dagger,  or  poison.  This  mighty  conspiracy  was  reported  to 
Abu  Taleb  ;  Muhammed  and  the  family  of  Hasham  were  sent  for ;  they  immedi- 
ately fortified  themselves  in  a  country  house  of  Abu  Taleb,  two  miles  distant  from 
Mecca.  When  the  Koreish  saw  that  their  conspiracy  was  discovered,  they  openly 
proscribed  and  excommunicated  Muhammed  and  his  whole  family  and  followers. 
They  marched  against  him ;  but  they  were  not  able  to  succeed ;  he  was  already 
too  powerful  They  attempted  to  starve  him  by  cutting  off  the  wells  and  provis- 
ions ;  but  he  had  already  too  many  friends.  In  his  fortress  he  pronounced  his  curse 
against  Abu  Lahab.  They  fought  for  three  years  with  mutual  success  and  defeat ; 
but,  during  the  four  holy  months,  when  the  Arabs  were  obliged  to  observe  a  strict 


216  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

armistice,  and  in  which  it  was  not  allowed  to  employ  either  sword  or  lance,  Muham- 
med  went  forth  from  his  fortress,  and  proclaimed  himself  to  the  people,  and  to  the 
pilgrims  journeying  towards  Mecca,  as  the  Ambassador  of  God.  The  persecutions 
he  underwent  by  his  opponents  fired  him  with  greater  zeal:  the  natural  effect  of 
persecutions. 

He  spoke  with  amazing  eloquence, — every  sentence  which  he  uttered  fell  upon 
the  heads  of  his  enemies  like  a  clap  of  thunder, — great  numbers  were  added  to  his 
party,  among  them  the  most  distinguished  citizens  of  Medinah.  In  this  emergency 
of  the  state,  when  the  downfall  and  the  total  overthrow  of  the  constitution  of  Mecca 
was  to  be  apprehended,  the  Arabs  chose  Habeeb,  one  of  their  mighty  princes,  who 
had  twenty  thousand  cavalry  under  his  command,  as  arbiter  between  them  and  the 
Hashamites.  Habeeb  was  one  hundred  years  of  age,  a  Jew  in  his  youth,  then  a 
Sabean,  and  after  a  Christian,  but  celebrated  in  Yemen  for  his  love  of  justice  artd 
wisdom.  He  undertook  willingly  the  office  of  arbiter,  and  encamped  with  three 
thousand  horse  in  the  plain  of  Muhazzeb.  Muhammed  appeared  before  the  judg- 
ment seat  of  Habeeb,  but  here  Muhammed  knew  how  to  state  his  case  with  such 
presence  of  mind,  that  he  was  honourably  acquitted  by  Habeeb,  and  even  taken  un- 
der his  powerful  protection.  Habeeb  observed  to  those  around  him,  "  Nothing  will 
be  able  to  stem  this  mighty  torrent :  he  will  succeed,  and  idolatry  shall  be  crushed !" 
Tranquillity  was  restored  thus  at  Mecca,  but  only  for  a  short  time. 

Muhammed  made  use  of  the  short  period  of  armistice  to  get  the  sentence  of  ex- 
communication recalled,  which  had  been  pronounced  by  the  Koreish  against  tha 
Hashamites,  and  which  excommunication  had  been  deposited  in  the  Kaaba.  Ho 
sent  word  to  the  family  of  Koreish,  that  God  had  revealed  to  him  that  a  worm  had 
been  sent  by  him  into  the  Kaaba,  in  order  to  gnaw  through  the  document  of  excom- 
munication, deposited  in  the  Ark,  except  that  spot  where  the  name  of  God  was  writ- 
ten. The  family  of  Koreish  examined  the  document ;  and,  on  finding  tins  to  be  the 
case,  they  annulled  it  altogether. 

But,  in  the  tenth  year  of  his  mission,  his  uncle  Abu  Taleb  and  his  wife  Khadijah 
died ;  and  the  greatest  enemy  of  his  family,  Abu  Suffian,  of  the  tribe  of  Ummia, 
succeeded  to  Abu  Taleb  in  the  government  of  Mecca ;  many  of  his  followers,  from 
fear,  left  Muhammed ;  so  that  he  undertook,  in  the  company  of  his  faithful  disciple 
Sayed,  a  journey  to  Tayef,  thirty  miles  eastward  from  Mecca,  where  he  received 
hut  a  cold  reception,  and  was  banished  from  the  city  as  a  madman. 

Resistance  and  obstacles  incited  the  more  the  audacity  and  courage  of  Muham- 
med. He  returned  again  to  Mecca,  and,  without  taking  the  least  notice  of  Abu 
Suffian's  threats,  he  preached  from  the  housetops  to  the  swarm  of  pilgrims,  and 
made  hosts  of  proselytes,  and  gained  over  to  his  doctrine  six  of  the  most  respectable 
citizens  of  Medinah,  of  the  noble  tribe  of  Khasredj  and  Aus,  allied  with  the  Jewish 
tribe  of  Karaites  and  Nadir,  who  had  the  greatest  influence  in  Medina  and  through- 
out the  Arabian  republic.  These  six  citizens  swore  allegiance  to  Muhammed,  and 
bound  themselves  by  an  oath  never  to  forsake  him,  and  to  bear  witness  of  his  divine 
message  to  the  family  of  Aus,  and  before  all  the  rest  of  the  tribes.  The  enthusiasm 
of  these  six  citizens  laid  the  first  foundation  of  the  worldly  grandeur  of  Muhammed  ; 
and  his  supremacy  gave  to  the  history  of  the  world  a  new  direction. 

Till  this  period,  Gabriel  only  was  the  person  who  initiated  him  as  a  prophet ;  but 
in  the  twelfth  year  of  his  mission  he  obtained  a  higher  call.  On  the  night  of  the 
20th  of  the  month  of  Rajab,  while  Muhammed  slept  in  the  valley  between  Saffa  and 
Merva,  suddenly  he  was  awaked  by  a  voice  saying,  "  Sleeper,  awake."  When  he 
opened  his  eyes,  he  saw  Gabriel  standing  before  him  hi  his  true  figure,  enwrapped 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  217 

in  rays  of  light,  having  round  his  forehead  a  royal  tiara,  upon  which  was  written,  hi 
strokes  of  fire,  the  words: 

There  is  God,  and  nothing  but  God,  and  Muhammed  the  Prophet  of  God 

The  angel  announced  to  him  that  the  Highest  had  called  his  Prophet  to  converse 
with  Him.  A  horse,  saddled  and  bridled,  Al  Barak,  i.  e.  the  lightning  horse,  stood 
near  the  angel,  which  had  the  head  of  a  horse,  but  with  the  face  of  a  man,  two 
wings  like  an  eagle,  his  colour  gray,  mixed  with  white,  but  resplendent  like  the  stars 
when  illuminated  with  the  light  of  the  sun.  The  horse  was  unruly,  and  when  Ga- 
briel reminded  him  that  he  stood  before  Muhammed  the  Prophet,  it  availed  nothing 
until  Muhammed  himself  promised  that  a  good  stable  in  Paradise  should  be  provided 
for  his  comfort ;  then  he  was  calm  and  resigned.  Gabriel  took  hold  of  the  bridle, 
and  with  the  swiftness  of  thought  they  arrived  at  Jerusalem,  where,  at  the  gate  of 
the  Temple,  a  multitude  of  patriarchs  and  prophets  were  standing,  desiring  his  in- 
tercession and  blessing,  and  wishing  him  a  happy  journey.  Barak  was  tied  to  a 
rock,  and  Muhammed  ascended  with  Gabriel  on  a  ladder  up  toward  heaven.  For 
a  few  moments  they  stood  before  the  gates  of  the  heavenly  realm.  The  porter,  on 
being  informed  that  Gabriel  and  Muhammed  stood  without,  immediately  opened  the 
gate  ;  when  an  old  man  came  to  meet  the  Prophet,  who  bowed  with  deep  humility, 
and  recommended  himself  to  the  prayers  of  Muhammed.  This  old  man  was  no 
other  than  Adam,  the  father  of  the  human  race. 

The  journey  extended  to  the  second,  third,  fourth,  fifth,  and  seventh  heaven. 
The  first  was  of  silver,  set  with  jewels  ;  the  second  of  gold  ;  the  third  of  transparent 
diamonds  ;  another  vaulted  entirely  with  the  odour  of  roses  and  other  flowers ;  but 
the  seventh  consisted  of  nothing  but  splendour  and  divine  light.  He  conversed  with 
Abraham  in  the  seventh  heaven,  and  there  he  observed  two  angels  continually  occu- 
pied in  writing  the  names  of  some  men  and  erasing  those  of  others. 

In  the  seventh  heaven  the  Angel  Gabriel  left  him,  and  he  alone  continued  his 
progress  to  the  throne  of  God.  When  he  approached  his  footstool,  he  read  the 
inscription,  "  God  and  nothing  but  God."  The  Almighty  laid  his  hands  upon  Mu- 
harnmed's  breast  and  shoulders.  God  revealed  to  his  Prophet  deep  mysteries,  and 
granted  him  many  prerogatives — the  knowledge  of  languages,  and  the  privilege  of 
retaining  for  his  own  private  use  the  spoils  taken  in  battle  ;  also  an  order  from  God 
to  make  his  followers  to  pray  fifty  times  a  day,  which,  however,  at  his  instant 
intercession,  was  reduced  to  five  times. 

He  returned,  accompanied  by  Gabriel,  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  mounted  his  horse 
Al  Barak,  and  was  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  again  in  the  plain  between  SafFa  and 
Merva,  one  mile  from  Mecca.  The  whole  journey,  which,  according  to  Arab  cal- 
culations, required  eleven  thousand  years  to  perform,  was  accomplished  by  him  in 
less  than  an  hour.  Gabriel  then  took  leave  of  him,  and  Al  Barak,  the  horse, 
reminded  Muhammed  most  humbly  of  his  promise  to  provide  a  comfortable  stable 
for  him  in  Paradise. 

But  his  friends  begged  him  not  to  speak  openly  of  his  journey  to  heaven,  as  it 
would  only  expose  him  to  ridicule.  However,  Muhammed  openly  proclaimed  it, 
and  Abu  Bekr  confirmed  it ;  but  the  family  of  Koreish  declared  that  he  must  be 
either  mad  or  an  impostor  ;  but  he  was  more  successful  at  Medinah,  where  the  story 
was  not  only  believed,  but  embellished  by  his  followers.  With  the  assistance  of  his 
disciple  Mozab,  the  greater  part  of  Medinah  was  converted  to  him.  Seventy-two 
men  and  women  were  sent  to  Mecca  from  Medinah  to  Muhammed  to  pay  him. 
homage,  and  they  promised  him,  after  a  secret  conversation  with  him,  to  assist  him 

28 


218  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

in  war,  defensive  and  offensive.  He  nominated  immediately  twelve  chiefs,  whom 
he  endowed  with  temporal  and  ecclesiastical  power.  Before  they  returned,  the 
Ambassador  asked  Muhammed,  "  After  thy  native  place  shall  have  acknowledged 
thy  virtues  and  thy  merits,  wilt  thou  forsake  us?"  He  answered  with  a  smile,  "  All 
is  now  common  among  us  ;  your  blood  is  my  blood ;  your  happiness  is  my  happiness ; 
your  misfortune  my  misfortune.  The  bonds  of  religion  have  united  us  together  for 
ever ;  yea.  the  bonds  of  honour  and  general  interest.  I  am  your  friend,  and  for 
ever  the  enemy  of  your  enemies."  They  replied,  "  If  we  should  fall  in  thy  service, 
what  would  be  our  reward?"  He  replied,  "  Paradise."  They  said,  "  Muhammed, 
give  us  thy  hand."  He  gave  his  hand  as  a  pledge,  and  the  union  was  made  for 
ever ;  and  from  that  time  Islam  was  the  ruling  and  universal  religion  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  Medinah. 

This  union  produced  general  consternation  among  the  tribe  of  Koreish.  They 
determined  to  murder  Muhammed,  whose  followers  were  scattered  abroad  ;  but  he 
was  saved  by  his  nephew  AH,  and  Muhammed  took  shelter  with  Abu  Bekr.  They 
both  escaped.  Abu  Bekr  was  oppressed  with  gloomy  thoughts.  "  Why  art  thou 
cast  down?"  Muhammed  asked  him ;  "  dost  thou  not  know  that  we  are  not  alone?" 
"  Who  is  with  us?"  asked  Abu  Bekr.  "  Ullah"  (God),  Muhammed  answered. 

They  hid  themselves  in  a  cave  in  the  mountains  of  Tur.  The  tribe  of  Koreish 
came  near  the  cave,  but  did  not  observe  them.  After  three  days  they  left  the  cave. 
Abu  Bekr  procured  two  camels  and  a  guide,  by  name  Abd  Ullah,  an  idolater,  and 
they  commenced  their  journey  to  Medinah.  But  suddenly  they  were  overtaken  by 
Sorak,  one  of  the  Koreish  cavalry,  who  ran  upon  them  with  his  lance ;  but  his  horse 
took  fright,  which  gave  Muhammed  and  Abu  Bekr  time  to  escape,  and  they  arrived 
safely  at  Medinah. 

This  flight,  called  the  Hejra,  622  A.  C.,  was  the  beginning  of  a  new  era.  After 
a  fatiguing  journey  of  twelve  days  along  the  sea  shore,  they  at  last  arrived  at 
Medinah  on  a  Friday,  when  Muhammed  made  his  solemn  and  pompous  entrance, 
met  by  five  hundred  citizens,  and  all  the  fugitives  who  had  preceded  him.  Mu- 
hammed sat  on  a  she  camel,  and  an  umbrella  of  palm  leaves  sheltered  him  from 
the  sun.  Abu  Bekr  rode  by  his  side,  and  Boreida  before  him,  with  a  flag  in  his 
hand.  'Thousands  saluted  the  Prophet  in  the  street,  and  from  the  windows  of  the 
houses.  He  was  received  with  shouts  of  jubilee  and  joy.  Thousands  desired  him 
to  be  their  guest,  but  Abu  Tayeb  had  the  honour  of  receiving  the  Prophet  under  his 
roof. 

A  few  days  after,  he  laid  the  foundation  of  a  mosque  and  a  house  for  himself  and 
family.  Both  buildings  were  completed  in  less  than  eleven  months',  for  Paradise 
was  the  reward  promised  to  the  builders.  He  next  began  to  exercise  the  functions  of 
High  Priest  and  King.  He  instituted  public  prayers ;  he  preached  daily  under  a 
palm-tree  ;  appointed  the  times  of  fasts  and  ablutions.  Magi,  idolaters,  Persians, 
and  Jews  came  daily  to  Medinah  to  pay  homage  to  the  Prophet,  and  he  made  any 
reform  he  pleased  in  the  state.  At  last  he  held  a  public  levee,  nominated  civil  and 
military  officers,  and  commanded  every  Mussulman  to  take  the  sword,  or  pay  a 
contribution  for  the  expense  of  the  war,  at  the  first  summons  of  the  Apostle ;  and 
every  war  declared  by  Muhammed  was  styled  the  holy  war.  He  had  a  great  seal, 
with  the  words  engraved  on  it,  "  Muhammed  the  Prophet  of  God." 

The  battle  of  Bedr  was  fought  in  the  year  623.  Abu  Suffian  marched  against 
Muhammed  with  seventy-five  thousand  men ;  the  Prophet  had  only  fifteen  thousand 
to  oppose  to  him.  Already  he  was  defeated  ;  shouts  of  triumph  were  heard  from 
the  camp  of  the  enemy,  when  Muhamraed  himself  came  forward  with  a  detachment 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  219 

of  troops  from  an  ambush,  and  exclaimed,  with  a  voice  of  thunder,  "  Angel  Gabriel ! 
come  down  with  eleven  thousand  angels !"  Arrows  were  flying  and  darts  hurled  at 
the  same  moment ;  his  already-defeated  army,  imagining  themselves  to  be  protected 
by  invisible  hosts  of  celestial  warriors,  took  fresh  courage,  and  Abu  Suffian's  army, 
struck  with  a  panic,  took  flight,  and  Muhammed  gained  the  victory. 

Immediately  after  the  battle  of  Bedr,  that  of  Ohod  was  fought.  Khaleed,  the 
son  of  Waleed,  marched  against  Muhammed.  The  idol  of  Lat  and  Uthal,  the 
protector  of  Khaleed's  army,  was  placed  at  a  little  distance,  guarded  by  only  a  few 
ipen.  Muhammed  was  again  giving  way,  when  he  rode  up  to  Ali,  and  commanded 
him  to  hasten  with  a  detachment  of  cavalry  to  the  idol,  and  break  it  to  pieces.  Ali, 
with  the  swiftness  qf  lightning,  obeyed  his  command.  Khaleed's  army,  perceiving 
their  idol  destroyed,  took  to  flight,  and  Muhammed  again  was  victorious. 

At  length,  in  the  year  629,  the  daughter  of  a  Rechabite, — like  another  Jael, 
mentioned  in  the  history  of  the  Jews, — undertook  to  deliver  Arabia  from  Muhammed ; 
she  administered  poison  to  Muhammed,  which  produced  inflammation  in  the  brain. 
"  None  has  ever  suffered  such  pains  as  I  do,"  he  observed  to  Omar.  "  Go  thou,  and 
perform  the  prayer  in  the  mosque,  instead  of  me."  Already  Omar  had  ascended 
the  pulpit,  when  Muhammed  raised  himself  upon  his  couch,  and  said  to  his  attend- 
ants, "  Pour  cold  water  over  me."  They  obeyed ;  he  then  rose  from  his  bed,  and 
said,  "  As  long  as  I  shall  have  breath  in  me,  I  shall  perform  public  prayer  myself." 
He  went  to  the  mosque,  and  called  to  Omar  to  stop.  He  performed  the  prayers 
with  a  loud  voice — went  home — laid  down  on  his  bed — uttered  three  dreadful 
shrieks :  his  last  words  were,  "  Rasool  Ullah"  (Ambassador  of  God),  and  expired 


220  NARRATIVE   OF    THE   MISSION 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Sensation  produced  by  the  Life  of  Muhammed ;  Copies  of  it  circulated  through 
Balkh,  Khoollom,  Mazaur,  and  Cabul ;  Remarks  of  the  Sheikh  Islam  on  it.  Yar 
Muhammed  Khan  advises  the  King  to  behead  Dr.  Wolff.  Ak  Muhammed  Beyk 
appointed  Ambassador  from  Bokhara  to  Kngland.  Mischief  occasioned  by  the  Ser- 
vants of  Colonel  Stoddart.  Colonel  Stoddart  ends  his  Diplomatic  Relations  with 
Yar  Muhammed  Khan  by  kicking  him  down  stairs.  Questions  by  the  Makhrams. 
King's  Remark  on  Dr.  Wolff's  Personal  Appearance.  The  People  call  Dr.  Wolff 
Khoob  Ademee, "  The  Good  Man."  The  King  gives  him  three  Names.  High  rep- 
utation of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  among  the  Jews  of  Bokhara.  Further  Questions 
put  by  the  Makhrams  by  order  of  the  Ameer  to  Dr.  Wolff;  Dr.  Wolff's  Reply  to 
each.  The  Dastar  Khanjee  a  Disgrace  to  Manhood.  Dr.  Wolff  demands  the 
Bones  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  Peculiar  Character  of  the  Post  at  Bokhara.  The 
Ameer  reads  all  the  Letters  of  his  Subjects.  Interview  of  Dr.  Wolff  with  the 
Ameer.  The  King  threatens  to  send  Dr.  Wolff's  Bones  to  England.  Dr.  Wolff 
hears  of  the  Villany  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  from  various  Persons.  Refused  per- 
mission to  depart  by  reason  of  the  Detention  of  the  Bokhara  Ambassador  in  Per- 
sia. Writes  to  Colonel  Sheil.  Russian  Slaves  refused  Liberation.  Conversation 
with  the  Officers  of  the  Nayeb.  Hassan  Shirazi. 

THE  sensation  excited  by  my  paper  on  Muhammed,  as  soon  as 
copied,  and  delivered  to  His  Majesty  the  King,  was  immense.  He 
sent  for  the  Sheikh  Islam,  for  the  Kasi  Kelaun,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
mullahs.  The  Sheikh  Islam  observed,  "  This  life  must  be  kept  among 
the  library  in  the  Great  Mosque,  and  it  is  remarkable  with  what  pru- 
dence Joseph  Wolff  has  contrived  to  state  his  sentiments  without  giv- 
ing offence,  and  at  the  same  time  delivers  with  sincerity  the  sentiments 
of  wise  Christians  with  regard  to  our  Prophet."  Copies  were  ordered 
by  His  Majesty  to  be  taken  and  sent  to  Balkh,  Khoollom,  and  Mazaur ; 
and  Mullah  Buddr-Deen,  the  great  merchant  from  Affghanistaun,  sent 
copies  to  Cabul ;  and  Khodsha  Sahib,  a  merchant  from  Cashmeer,  sent 
to  his  friends  at  Cashmeer ;  and  the  Governor  of  Samarcand  sent 
copies  to  the  mullahs  of  Samarcand  and  Orateppa.  And  the  Sheikh 
Islam  observed  to  His  Majesty,  "  A  great  calamity  will  befal  the  city, 
if  Joseph  Wolff,  is  killed  at  Bokhara,  and  not  sent  back  to  his  coun- 
try with  distinction."  His  Majesty  the  King  replied,  "  I  have  given 
myself  a  terrible  wound  by  having  killed  Stoddart  and  Conolly." 

May  5th.  I  received  permission  to  depart,  on  the  9th  of  this  month, 
from  the  King.  At  this  period  I  laboured  under  the  most  pleasing  de- 
lusion as  to  the  real  character  of  the  Nayeb,  and  in  the  innocency  of 
my  heart  wrote  to  England  to  that  effect.  I  continued  to  labour  un- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  221 

der  this  delusion  for  some  time.  The  9th  arrived,  but  with  it  no  per- 
mission  to  depart.  The  King,  however,  and  the  Nayeb  continued  to 
treat  me  kindly.  I  soon,  however,  found  that  I  was  surrounded  by  a 
mass  of  treachery  nearly  unparalleled.  The  first  glimpses  broke  in 
on  me  from  a  discovery  that  I  made  as  to  Yar  Muhammed  Khan, 
of  Heraut.  This  villain  promised  to  recommend  me  to  the  Ameer  of 
Bokhara,  and  he  kept  his  word.  He  did  so — for  decapitation.  The 
Ameer,  however,  did  not  attend  to  him,  being  prepossessed  against  him, 
fortunately  for  me,  otherwise  I  might  not  now  live  to  tell  the  tale. 

Wednesday,  the  14th,  was  again  fixed  for  my  departure  with  Ak 
Muhammed  Beyk,  a  great  Turkomaun  chief,  who  was  to  accompany 
me  with  presents  from  the  Ameer  for  our  Queen,  and  a  letter.  Ap- 
parently great  outward  kindness  was  shown  to  me,  for  when  I  wanted 
to  be  bled,  the  King  sent  word  that  I  ought  not  to  do  so  previous  to  a 
journey.  I  called  on  the  King  in  my  Bokhara  dress,  and  His  Maj- 
esty laughed  heartily  at  my  appearance.  He  is  wholly  uneducated, 
but  not  without  talent.  I  remained  in  the  house  of  Abdul  Samul 
Khan.  People  began  at  last  to  assume  sufficient  courage  to  call  on 
me.  They  all  expressed  their  astonishment  that  I  should  be  better 
treated  than  the  Russian  Ambassador,  and  they  began  now  to  bow  to 
me  in  the  street.  One  day  I  fell  from  my  horse  in  the  street,  but  was 
not  hurt,  which  they  ascribed  to  my  carrying  the  Bible  always  about 
with  me.  Though  I  did  not  feel  the  effects  then,  this  fall  afterward 
produced  a  rupture,  which  greatly  inconvenienced  me,  since  I  had  to 
ride  twelve  hundred  miles  on  horseback  without  a  bandage. 

On  inquiry,  I  found  in  all  directions  that  Colonel  Stoddart's  servants 
did  him  immense  injury.  All  the  accusations  against  my  poor  friend 
Conolly  were  of  the  idlest  description.  Colonel  Stoddart  was  cer- 
tainly a  most  rash  and  inconsiderate  man.  The  story  of  drawing 
his  sword  on  the  Makhram  that  was  to  present  him  to  the  King,  was 
in  everybody's  mouth,  as  a  gross  violation  of  the  etiquette  of  the 
Court. 

I  conversed  one  day  with  several  people  of  Heraut.  They  spoke 
highly  of  English  officers,  and  related  the  following  story  of  Colonel 
Stoddart :  "  He  was  visited  on  one  occasion  by  Yar  Muhammed  Khan, 
who  was,  as  the  Heraut  people  expressed  themselves,  the  greatest 
Haram-Zadeh  in  existence.  Colonel  Stoddart  spoke  to  him  about  the 
affairs  of  Kamran  Shah,  and  after  a  few  remarks  by  him  on  the  vil- 
lany  of  Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  the  discussion  became  so  warm  that 
Colonel  Stoddart  rose  and  said,  <  With  you  I  shall  soon  have  done,' 
and  kicked  him  down  stairs."  This  was  diplomacy  with  a  ven- 
geance. 


222  NARRATIVE    OF  THE    MISSION 

Every  day  of  my  residence  here  brought  with  it  some  question  to 
be  solved  for  the  King's  satisfaction.  On  even  the  second  day  of  my 
arrival,  the  King  sent  one  of  his  Makhrams  to  ask  two  questions. 
1st.  Whether  I  had  the  power  to  raise  the  dead  ?  2nd.  Did  I  know 
when  the  day  of  resurrection  would  take  place  ?  My  answers  were 
written  down. 

One  day  the  King  remarked  to  the  Nayeb,  that  I  was  the  most  sin- 
gular being  he  had  ever  seen.  I  was  not  like  any  other  European. 
I  was  not  like  an  Englishman,  or  a  Jew,  or  a  Russian,  in  my  outward 
appearance  and  conduct. 

I  pass  here  by  the  name  of  the  Khoob,  Ademee,  the  good  man,  among 
the  people.  In  the  very  market-place,  they  say,  "  The  Englishman  is 
come,  and  he  asked  Hazrat  (His  Majesty),  Why  have  you  killed  my 
countrymen  ?  After  him  more  of  his  people  will  come  with  force 
and  power,  and  our  Nayeb  is  occupied  with  the  Englishman  for  some 
great  design  and  purpose." 

About  this  time,  May  the  14th,  1844,  the  King  learnt  the  detention 
of  his  own  Ambassador  at  Meshed  on  my  account,  and  therefore  de- 
termined to  detain  me.  I  continued,  however,  to  ride  about  without 
strict  surveillance  on  to  the  22nd.  The  King  wrote  letters  to  the  Sul- 
tan and  Shah.  Ambassadors  are  sharper  looked  after  than  myself,  for 
they  are  not  permitted  to  get  clear  of  a  very  strict  surveillance.  His 
Majesty  looked  upon  Dil  Assa  Khan  as  a  contemptible  dog,  he  told  me, 
for  not  having  fulfilled  his  duty  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  He  gave 
me  three  epithets.  1st.  Joseph  Wolff"  the  Original.  2nd.  Joseph 
Wolff  the  Star  with  the  Tail.  3rd.  Joseph  Wolff  the  Timid  One. 

The  Jews  of  Bokhara  have  taken  courage,  and  called  on  me.  The 
name  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore,  and  the  rumour  of  his  exertions  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Jewish  nation,  have  reached  their  ears  and  those  of  their 
brethren  in  Samarcand,  Balkh,  Khokand,  and  Heraut.  And  Sir  Moses 
Montefiore  will  be  surprised  to  learn  that  his  exertions  in  behalf  of  the 
Tews  have  drawn  the  attention  of  the  Jews  in  those  distant  regions  to  the 
doctrines  of  Christianity  ;  for  many  Jew's,  when  at  Bokhara,  observed 
to  me  that  the  religion  of  the  Gentiles  in  England  must  absolutely  be 
better  than  that  of  Muhammed,  as  the  proceedings  of  Sir  Moses  Mon- 
tefiore, in  behalf  of  the  Jews,  are  not  only  tolerated,  but  also  counte- 
nanced, supported,  recommended,  and  eulogized.  And  about  Rothschild 
they  say  that,  in  a  country  where  one  can  so  openly  make  a  display  of 
one's  property,  the  religion  of  that  nation  must  be  better. 

The  reason  why  His  Majesty  called  me  Joseph  Wolff  the  Timid 
One,  I  discovered  to  be  from  the  cause  that  Ameer  Asian  told  him 
that  I  was  ill  from  the  apprehension  of  losing  my  head.  He  sup- 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  223 

posed  this  to  be  the  case,  from  a  sudden  illness  with  which  I  was 
seized  in  the  market-place.  His  Makhram  continued  to  come  down 
daily  with  questions  such  as  these  : 

The  mode  of  travelling  in  Persia,  Turkey,  and  England  ?  To 
this  I  replied,  giving  an  ordinary  explanation ;  but  His  Majesty  could 
not  understand  why  we  had  no  camels  in  England,  and  I  had  to  write 
an  immense  time  before  he  comprehended  our  railroad  travelling. 

Whether  the  Queen  has  a  husband  1  I  answered  this  in  the  af- 
firmative, but  told  him  that  the  government  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
Queen.  He  then  exclaimed,  "  What  kind  of  husband  is  he  that  is 
under  the  government  of  his  wife  ?" 

Why  a  woman  is  Queen,  and  not  the  husband  ?  I  pointed  out 
that  the  succession  ran  in  the  eldest  branch,  male  or  female,  and 
illustrated  the  position  by  James  of  Scotland. 

The  Ameer  wished  another  day  to  have  the  names  of  the  four 
grand  Viziers,  and  twelve  little  Viziers  of  England,  and  the  forty-two 
Elders.  I  gave  to  His  Majesty  a  list  of  the  names  of  the  present 
Ministry,  when  the  Makhram  returned  in  a  fury,  and  said  that  His 
Majesty  had  found  me  out  to  be  a  Uar,  for  the  four  grand  Viziers, 
according  to  Colonel  Stoddart's  account,  were  :  Laard  Maleburne, 
Laard  Jaan  Rawsall,  Laard  Malegraave,  Seere  Jaane  Habehaase. 
I  was  brought  in  to  the  King,  and  then  had  to  give  a  complete  idea 
of  the  Constitution  of  England,  which,  though  His  Majesty  could  not 
understand  it  fully,  yet  I  convinced  him  that  my  list  might  be  true 
also,  especially  as  I  was  able  to  tell  him  the  names  of  the  Whig  Ad- 
ministration. 

At  the  same  time  His  Majesty  asked  me  whether  witches  were  to 
be  found  in  England.  To  which  I  replied,  that  witchcraft  was  pro. 
hibited  to  the  Christians,  and  according  to  the  old  law  of  England, 
was  punished  with  death ;  that  this  arose  from  the  fact  that  witch- 
craft required  to  complete  its  rites,  shedding  of  blood,  and  other  un- 
lawful acts,  and  was  consequently  for  that,  independent  of  any  other 
question  of  its  effects,  punished  with  death,  under  Jewish  and  Chris- 
tian ordinances.  That  witchcraft  does  not  now  exist,  and  that  scarce- 
ly any  one  in  England  believes  in  the  existence  of  it  at  all.  I  was 
the  more  anxious  to  say  this,  lest  from  the  circumstance  of  their  en- 
tertaining the  notion  of  my  being  a  wizard,  I  might  suffer  those  very 
serious  consequences  that  my  predecessors  in  the  black  art  had  from 
time  to  time  experienced.  It  will  further  be  seen,  in  the  progress  of 
this  Narrative,  that  it  was  reported  that  Abdul  Samut  Khan  and  I 
practised  witchcraft  at  our  meetings,  when  in  truth  that  mighty 
alchymist  was  only  bent  on  transmuting  me  into  as  much  solid  gold 


224  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

as  possible  by  the  dint  of  his  philosopher's  stone,  cruelty,  incarcera- 
tion, and  threats  of  death. 

On  another  occasion  I  was  asked,  How  many  Ambassadors  Her 
Majesty  had,  and  how  they  were  treated  ?  I  gave  a  list  of  Ambassa- 
dors, and  stated  that  they  were  not  guarded  and  watched,  as  was  the 
practice  at  Bokhara,  but  enjoyed  full  liberty  and  high  distinctions  and 
privileges. 

The  King  then  asked,  Whether  they  would  kill  his  Ambassador  at 
London  ?  I  replied,  if  any  Englishman  did  so,  he  would  immediately 
be  put  to  death,  by  the  laws  of  the  land ;  and  to  illustrate  it  I  told  him 
of  the  good  reception  of  Dost  Muhammed  Khan  in  India. 

Why  do  the  English  people  like  old  coins  ?  was  then  demanded.  I 
explained  that  their  value  in  the  eyes  of  Englishmen  arose  from  the  cir- 
cumstance that  coins  were  looked  upon  as  the  very  backbone  on  which 
the  frame  of  history  is  supported.  That  without  them  we  could  not 
ascertain  the  duration  of  the  world,  dynasties  of  kings,  and  national 
events.  That  they  were  the  great  guides  of  the  historian  in  determin- 
ing his  seras,  and  formed  a  metallic  history  of  the  earth,  and  that  stat- 
ues and  ancient  monuments  were  used  as  similar  auxiliaries. 

Who  Ghengis  Khan  was  ?  After  the  usual  particulars  of  this  well- 
known  life,  I  added  that  the  Jews  believed  that  he  was  one  of  their  na- 
tion. 

Who  Dareius  was  ?  I  then  detailed  the  history  of  this  monarch, 
whom  they  call  Takianus. 

How  the  English  govern  India  ?  After  general  details,  I  pointed 
out  the  toleration  of  the  British  Government  in  India,  allowing  all 
persons  to  follow  their  own  religion,  and  making  no  difference  in  the 
exercise  of  law  between  Englishman,  Muhammedan,  and  Hindoo ;  and 
that  if  an  Englishman  were  to  insult  a  Muhammedan  or  Hindoo,  rela- 
tive to  religion  or  any  other  matter,  he  would  be  severely  punished. 

The  names  of  the  richest  Jews  in  England  ?  Rothschild,  Gold- 
smith, Sir  M.  Montefiore,  and  Cohen. 

Whether  the  Queen  has  the  power  to  kill  any  one  she  pleases  ? 
No  ;  but  she  can  pardon  whom  she  pleases ;  and  persons  who  have  even 
attempted  the  life  of  the  Queen  have  not  suffered,  but  been  pardoned. 
I  explained  that  the  Queen  was  compelled  to  submit  her  rights  to  the 
trial  by  jury,  as  well  as  the  Lords  or  Commoners.  On  which  one  of 
the  Makhrams  observed,  "  What  kind  of  a  sovereign  is  this,  that  can- 
not take  away  any  life  that  she  pleases  ?" 

How  many  farsakhs  an  hour  a  steam  ship  goes  ?  I  said  three  and 
four  farsakhs  (about  sixteen  miles  an  hour.) 

The  Bokhara  Ambassador,  alluded  to  in  one  of  the  above  questions, 


•^m-: 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  225 

was  a  man  of  striking  appearance.  He  was  a  Tatshick,  and  his 
brother  one  of  the  first  merchants  in  the  place. 

The  instances  of  villany  which  I  daily  detected  of  Dil  Assa  Khan 
were  perfectly  startling.  I  found  out  that  he  had  laid  a  plot  to  sell 
me  to  the  Hazarah.  Next  to  the  Dastar  Khanjee  I  considered  him  at 
this  time  one  of  the  most  wicked  men  I  had  ever  seen.  This  man, 
who  is  placed  over  the  King's  kitchen,  and  at  the  same  time  has  also 
the  custom-house  under  him,  and  occupies  in  fact  the  position  of  King's 
Vizier,  is  only  twenty  years  of  age,  and  has  been  raised  to  this  office 
for  demerits  unmentionable  in  any  journal  or  narrative.  He  is  one  of 
the  most  voluptuous  and  effeminate  villains  imaginable.  I  have  in- 
serted his  portrait,  and  I  think  it  gives  fully  the  base  character  of  the 
man.  When  he  is  older  it  is  generally  hoped  by  the  inhabitants,  and 
confidently  expected  by  them,  that  the  King  will  decapitate  him  and 
seize  on  his  enormous  wealth.  He  treated  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Cap- 
tain Conolly  with  peculiar  severity.  The  less  said  of  this  disgrace  to 
manhood  the  better. 

In  order  to  exemplify  in  the  best  manner  the  tyranny  of  the  Ameer 
of  Bokhara,  I  need  only  mention  the  following  facts :  That  every  letter 
sent  from  Bokhara,  and  every  letter  arriving  for  their  merchants  and 
dignitaries,  and  every  private  note  which  the  wife  writes  to  her  hus- 
band, or  the  husband  to  the  wife,  must  first  be  opened  and  perused  by 
the  King  of  Bokhara  ;  so  that  actually  it  is  a  matter  of  the  utmost  dif- 
ficulty to  forward  letters  to  Bokhara.  This  circumstance  may  plead 
an  excuse  for  Colonel  Sheil  ordering  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  not  to  for- 
ward the  letters  from  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  by  an  express  Gholam. 
For  even  if  the  letters  arrive  the  people  are  afraid  to  receive  them. 
The  Khaleefa  of  Mowr  alone  is  able  to  forward  letters  to  Bokhara 
with  safety,  but  of  this  circumstance  Colonel  Sheil  was  not  aware, 
and  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  had  no  inclination  to  make  use  of  the  Kha- 
leefa. 

Another  act  of  tyranny  committed  by  the  Ameer  is  that  boys  are 
employed  as  newswriters,  whose  duty  it  is  to  report  to  him  every  word 
which  other  boys  talk  in  the  street ;  even  brother  to  brother  at  home, 
and  servants  in  families,  are  also  obliged  to  write  down  for  the  King 
any  conversation  they  hear  between  husband  and  wife,  even  in  bed ; 
and  the  people  set  over  me  were  ordered  to  report  to  him  what  I  might 
happen  to  speak  in  a  dream.  Such  written  reports  are  called  Areeza, 
i.  e.  petitions  to  the  King.  But  whilst  His  Majesty  has  established 
such  a  complete  system  of  espionage,  a  similar  one  is  established  over 
him,  though  in  secret,  by  several  of  the  great  officers  of  the  State. 
Abdul  Samut  Khan  boasted  to  me,  and  I  heard  the  truth  of  his  state- 

29 


226  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

ment  confirmed  by  others,  that  he  (Abdul  Samut  Khan)  knew  every 
sentence  and  every  half  sentence  the  Ameer  uttered,  and  all  that  is 
spoken  to  him.  Abdul  Samut  Khan  was  exactly  informed  of  every 
word  that  I  uttered  on  a  certain  Friday  that  I  went  to  the  Salaam 
(levee)  of  the  King,  viz.,  that  I  had  requested  His  Majesty  to  give  me 
the  bones  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly,  and  that  His  Majesty's  answer 
was,  "  I  shall  send  your  bones."  The  Ameer  is  evidently  afraid  of 
Abdul  Samut  Khan,  for  as  often  as  Abdul  Samut  Khan  exercises  his 
artillery  by  ordering  cannons  to  be  fired,  the  Ameer  sends  one  of  his 
Makhrams  to  the  Nayeb,  who  lives  outside  the  town,  to  inquire  for 
what  purpose  the  cannons  are  fired,  and  I  witnessed  that  in  a  single 
day  three  or  four  times  Makhrams  came  to  Abdul  Samut  Khan  with 
the  same  question. 

It  may  be  asked,  "  Does  the  Ameer  fear  England  ?"  I  say  exceed, 
ingly :  so  much  so  that  when  I  arrived  there,  for  three  days  he  was 
sitting  with  his  head  leaning  upon  his  hands,  in  deep  thought ;  and  he 
observed  to  the  Grand  Cazi,  "  How  extraordinary !  I  have  two  hun- 
dred thousand  Persian  slaves  here ;  nobody  cares  for  them ;  and  on 
account  of  two  Englishmen,  a  person  comes  from  England,  and  single- 
handed  demands  their  release." 

There  are  two  Armenians  from  Astrachan  at  Bokhara,  the  name  of 
the  one  is  Barhur-Dar,  and  the  other  Hoannes,  who  were  forbidden  by 
the  Ameer  to  approach  me.  They  are  suspected  by  the  inhabitants 
to  be  Akbar-Nuwees  (report  writers),  some  say  to  the  English  Gov- 
ernment, and  others  to  the  Russian.  I  however  found  a  real  friend  to  the 
British  Government  in  a  Khoja  Sahib,  a  merchant  from  Cashmeer,  who 
chiefly  opened  my  eyes  about  the  infamous  Nayeb,  Abdul  Samut  Khan, 
and  who  told  me,  "  That  rascal  has  never  told  you  how  ill  he  treated 
Conolly,  poor  Conolly,  and  gave  him  nothing  to  eat,  after  he  had 
stopped  with  him  for  a  while,  for  Conolly  was  too  shrewd  to  be  cheated 
by  him." 

With  respect  to  this  person  (Abdul  Samut  Khan),  I  omitted  to  men- 
tion that  after  the  long  conversation  I  had  with  him  on  the  subject  of 
Stoddart  and  Conolly,  given  above,  that  he  made  me  a  present  of  a 
Bokhara  robe,  and  also  one  to  Dil  Assa  Khan.  On  our  return  to  my 
lodgings  in  the  Toorah  Khane  from  that  interview,  the  good  old  Yoos- 
Bashi,  when  he  saw  me,  wept  for  joy,  as  when  one  sees  another  re- 
turning from  a  dangerous  journey.  Also  the  Turkomauns,  Ameer 
Sarog  and  Kaher  Kouli,  who  were  formerly  distant  in  their  demean- 
our, again  took  courage  to  salute  me.  After  three  days  I  called  again 
on  the  Nayeb.  He  informed  me  that  he  had  already  paid  thirty 
tillahs  for  five  camels  to  Morteza  preparatory  to  my  departure,  and 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  227 

twenty  tillahs  I  should  have  to  pay  him  at  Meshed.  I  said,  "  Why 
so  ?  I  only  want  two  camels,  which  amounts  to  six  tillahs  (about  three 
pounds),  but  he  replied  that  he  should  have  to  give  me  so  many  effects 
of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  which  he  had  recovered  at 
great  personal  cost  from  others,  that  I  should  not  know  what  to  do  with 
them.  He  showed  to  me  three  mantles  (khelats)  from  Conolly,  when  a 
curious  thing  happened.  A  soldier  (Sirbas)  exclaimed,  on  passing,  as 
he  caught  a  sight  of  the  Khelat,  "  I  know  that ;  we  took  it  from  the 
palace  of  Muhammed  Ali,  King  of  Khokand."  The  Nayeb  exclaim- 
ed, "  Pedret  Sukhte,"  "  May  thy  father  be  burned,  but  do  you  know 
they  belonged  to  Conolly  Saib  V  and  I  observed  him  giving  the  man 
a  look  of  peculiar  expression.  The  soldier  slowly  walked  off,  but 
when  he  saw  me  again,  he  told  me,  "  The  Nayeb  lies.  We  took  it 
from  the  palace  of  the  King  of  Khokand.  You  will  never  come  out 
of  this  place  again.  The  Nayeb,  Pedre  Sukhte  Nayeb,  will  do  with 
you  as  he  did  with  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  He  killed  them,  and  he  will 
kill  you."  Whilst  we  were  talking,  I  heard  the  shrieks  and  howlings 
of  people.  I  asked,  "  What  is  that  ?"  He  said,  "  This  the  prison 
kept  by  the  Nayeb  for  those  whom  he  suspects,  and  whom  he  suffers 
to  starve  from  hunger."  The  Nayeb  came,  and  our  conversation  was 
interrupted. 

I  asked  the  Nayeb,  "Will  the  Rukhsat  (permission  to  depart)  be  given 
to-day  ?"  He  said,  "  Yes ;  and  for  this  reason  I  beg  you  now  to  give 
me  a  receipt  for  five  thousand  tillahs.  Three  thousand  which  I  will 
give  you  now ;  one  thousand  for  the  Russian  slaves  whom  I  will  de- 
liver to  you  to-morrow ;  and  one  thousand  tillahs,  which  you  have  to 
pay  for  Conolly's  and  Stoddart's  effects,  for  the  bribes  which  I  have 
given  to  the  people,  and  the  hire  of  the  Caravan  Bashi."  I  exclaimed, 
"  Great  God  !  can  you  show  me  the  account  ?"  He  showed  me  an 
account.  I  said,  "  Give  me  this  account."  Nayeb.  "  Not  now ;  but 
give  me  your  receipt ;  you  have  to  do  with  the  Nayeb,  who  will  not 
deceive  you."  I  gave  him  the  receipt  for  five  thousand  tillahs. 

In  the  evening,  instead  of  the  permission  to  depart,  Makhram  Cas- 
sem  came  with  the  following  message  from  the  King :  "  His  Majesty 
had  already  ordered  the  letters  to  be  written  to  the  Queen  of  England, 
and  the  presents  which  were  intended  for  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  of 
England  were  already  prepared,  but  His  Majesty  had  just  been  in- 
formed that  the  Vizier  Mukhtar  (Ambassador)  of  England,  at  Tehe- 
raun,  had  offered  one  thousand  tillahs  as  a  daily  compensation,  as  long 
as  the  Bokhara  Ambassador  was  detained  within  the  confines  of  Persia. 
His  Majesty  the  Ameer  therefore  was  determined  to  keep  Joseph 
Wolff  at  Bokhara  as  long  as  his  Ambassador  was  detained  in  Persia." 


228  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

This  news  was  like  a  thunder-bolt  to  me.     On  the  receipt  of  this 
intelligence,  I  wrote  the  following  letter  to  Colonel  Sheil : 
To  Colonel  Sheil,  at  Teheraun,  thence  to  be  sent  to  His  Excellency  Sir  S.  Can- 
ning, Constantinople,  and  thence  to  the  Earl  of  Aberdeen,  who  will  kindly  com- 
municate the  contents  of  it  to  Captain  Grover. 
My  dear  Colonel  Sheil,  &c.  Bokhara,  May  15,  1844. 

Ak  Muhammed  Beg,  a  powerful  chief  of  Turkomauns,  was  already  appoint- 
ed as  Ambassador  to  the  Queen  of  England  from  the  King  of  Bokhara,  of  which  I 
sent  to  all  of  you  a  copy,  and  I  was  to  set  out  on  the  12th  instant  for  Meshed,  after 
I  had  made  my  dua  to  His  Majesty,  when  he  received  a  message  from  Meshed, 
that  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  detained  his  Ambassador  there  on  my  account.  He  is 
therefore  determined  to  keep  me  until  his  Ambassador  comes  back.  I  beg  you  there- 
fore to  send  an  order  from  Muhammed  Shah  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  that  he  should 
immediately  permit  the  Eljee  of  Bokhara  to  depart  from  Meshed  for  Bokhara.  Pray 
do  so,  for  he  ( the  King )  is  a  determined  fellow,  and  would  keep  me  ten  years  if  the 
Ambassador  is  not  sent.  I  write  this  letter  in  the  house  of  our  friend  Nayeb  Abdul 
Samut  Khan,  who  has  taken  great  trouble  about  me. 

I  have  recovered  a  journal.  [  The  Nayeb  did  not  give  me  this  journal,  as  he 
promised.  It  contained,  among  other  matters,  a  description  of  fortresses  from  Kho- 
kand  to  Bokhara.  The  official  seal  of  Stoddart  was  also  retained  by  him.]  I  also 
have  got  the  official  seal  of  Stoddart.  The  King  does  not  attempt  to  justify  his 
having  murdered  Todderwise  and  Naselli.  [I  found  Todderwise  alive  at  Teheraun, 
on  my  return  from  Bokhara.  I  asked  him  how  the  report  originated  that  the  Na- 
yeb had  killed  him  at  Bokhara.  He  said  that  the  Nayeb  had  invited  him  to  see  him, 
for  he  knew  him  in  India ;  but  as  he,  Todderwise,  was  informed  of  his  character, 
he  did  not  go,  being  fearful  of  being  enslaved,  but  another  person,  a  German  went, 
who  was  put  to  death  by  the  King,  without  seeing  the  Nayeb,  and  the  Nayeb  sup- 
posed that  it  was  Todderwise.]  Poor  Conolly  had  done  nothing  but  what  every 
traveller  does  ;  he  kept  a  journal,  which  made  him  suspected  to  be  a  spy. 

You  must  pardon  my  confused  style,  for  I  am  in  a  great  stew,  not  knowing  how 
long  I  shall  be  kept.  I  am  now  allowed  to  ride  about  in  the  town  without  a  Makh- 
ram  (private  chamberlain)  of  the  King,  and  which  even  the  Russian  Ambassador 
was  not  allowed  when  here.  There  is  now  ao  probability  of  his  putting  me  to  death 
He  himself  said  to  the  Nayeb,  "  Do  not  tell  Joseph  Wolff  that  Yar  Muhammed 
Khan  has  written  to  me  that  I  should  put  him  to  death,  for  it  will  frighten  him." 
Pray  send  a  copy  of  this  letter  to  India,  and  tell  them  that  they  should  assist  me 
from  thence  and  from  England  with  money,  for  I  must  give  some  presents  to  those 
Makhrams  who  behaved  exceedingly  kind  to  me  ;  and  Dil  Assa  Khan,  the  Eljee  of 
the  Assaff,  almost  stripped  me  on  the  road ;  and  after  I  had  left  Merve,  I  discovered 
that  Rajab  had  stolen  several  things,  he  was  paid  by  Nur  Khyr  Ullah  in  behalf  of 
Colonel  Stoddart,  so  you  need  not  pay  him  over  again.  What  horrid  rascals  those 
natives  are !  from  the  Prince  down  to  the  lowest  subject !  The  Nayeb  has  behaved 
nobly  towards  me.  A  report  is  spread  about  at  Bokhara,  that  the  Nayeb  and  my- 
self sit  together  the  whole  day  shut  up  in  a  room  and  practise  witchcraft.  Pray  get 
the  Ambassador  soon  sent  off,  and  be  kind  enough  to  send  a  copy  of  this  letter  to 
Lady  Georgiana  also.  Yours,  &c. 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

The  Nayeb  informed  me  that  last  Sunday  the  King  told  him  these  words :  "  We 
will  spread  about  a  report  that  we  march  against  Khokand,  but  the  real  object  of 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  229 

the  expedition  will  be  to  lake  Shahr  Sabz  by  surprise."  It  would  be  a  great  pity  if 
he  should  succeed.  I  must  abstain  from  writing  to  you  anything  now  about  the 
character  of  this  court,  for  obvious  reasons ;  and  besides  this,  you  must  know  that  I 
am  at  present  in  a  continual  fever,  and  shall  be  so  until  I  shall  be  at  Meshed.  I 
have  taken  six  hundred  tillahs  from  the  Nayeb  for  expenses,  [The  Nayeb  had  made 
me  his  debtor  to  this  amount,  in  presents  to  Makhrams,  which  I  afterwards  discov- 
ered he  never  gave  to  them.]  for  the  recovery  of  Conolly's  effects,  and  for  official 
presents  to  the  Makhrams,  Sheikhawl,  &c.  Pray  honour  my  bills,  and  I  shall  ar- 
range with  you  matters.  Abbott  authorized  me  to  draw,  in  case  of  need,  one  hun- 
dred tomauns  on  him.  The  inclosed  is  a  copy  of  a  letter  of  the  King  of  Bokhara, 
which  I  am  to  take  with  me  to  England. 

I  took  the  Nayeb  alone,  and  begged  him  to  give  me  back  the  re- 
cept  mentioned  above,  but  he  swore  by  Abdullah  Khan,  his  son,  four 
years  of  age,  to  speak  on  the  Sunday  following  to  the  Ameer,  to  pro. 
cure  me  permission  to  depart. 

With  regard  to  the  Russian  prisoners,  he  sent  first  of  all  for  an  old 
woman,  one  hundred  and  eleven  years  of  age,  who  spoke  Turkish, 
and  the  Bokhara  Persian,  and  remembered  the  Empress  Catherine ; 
and  when  I  asked  her  whether  she  would  return  to  Russia,  she  smiled, 
and  said,  at  the  same  time  striking  the  ground  with  her  staff,  "  Here 
at  Bokhara  I  shall  be  buried.  What  shall  I  do  in  Russia  ?"  I  gave 
her  one  tillah,  for  which,  in  sign  of  gratitude,  she  knocked  her  head 
six  or  seven  times  to  the  ground,  and  departed,  always  moving  her 
head,  and  saying,  "  I  return  to  Russia  ?  I  return  to  Russia  ?"  He 
next  sent  for  some  other  Russians  with  the  same  success.  Some  of 
them  said,  "  We  cannot  return,  for  we  are  deserters."  Others,  "  We 
are  married  here,  and  have  wives  and  children." 

Behadur  Hussein  AH,  and  other  officers  of  the  Nayeb,  then  took 
me  alone,  and  said,  "  You  will  find  at  last  that  the  Nayeb  is  a  Haram 

Zadeh  (son  of ),  who  treated  Stoddart  and  Conolly  as  he  does 

you,  and  Boutenieff,  the  Russian  Ambassador,  whom  he  detained  as 
long  as  he  could,  always  pretending  to  be  their  friend."  Behadur 
then  took  me  alone,  and  pulling  off  his  cap,  and  lifting  his  eyes  to 
heaven,  said,  in  a  kind  of  despair,  "  Oh,  Conolly  Saib  !  Oh,  Conolly 
Saib !  thou  wert  deceived  by  that  Haram  Zadeh  the  Nayeb.  He  has 
also  deceived  me,  allured  me  with  promises  to  Cabul  from  Lahore, 
and  from  Cabul  to  Bokhara ;  and  now  he  has  forced  me  to  marry, 
and  having  made  a  slave  of  me,  will  at  last  kill  me,  and  take  the  few 
tomauns  I  have  from  me  ;  but,  what  is  worse,  he  has  already  made 
me  his  accomplice  in  every  evil  work  he  has  committed.  I  am  the 
keeper  of  those  prisoners,  who  will  never  see  the  light  of  day  again, 
for  he  has  killed  many  of  them,  and  I  shall  be  killed  also.  But  I 
must  tell  you  all,  for  I  am  an  Indian  Mussulman,  and  have  eaten  the 


230  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

salt  of  English  people.  I  knew  Mr.  Vigne  at  Cabal ;  he  has  drawn 
my  portrait,  and  has  given  me  many  a  rupee.  I  am  not  an  Iranee 
(Persian),  I  am  a  Hindee,  and  have  eaten  the  salt  of  Englishmen. 
The  Nayeb  will  kill  you  at  last,  after  he  has  got  money  from  you. 
He  gave  money  to  Conolly,  and  after  Conolly  was  dead  he  got  it  back 
again.  Pray  do  not  tell  him  what  I  tell  you, — he  will  kill  me — he 
will  kill  me.  I  am  not  an  Iranee,  I  am  a  Hindee,  and  have  eaten  the 
salt  of  Englishmen."  This  account  of  Behadur,  delivered  with  every 
mark  of  deep  sincerity  of  feeling,  was  amply  confirmed  by  Mirza  Mu- 
hammed  Noori  and  the  Yavar,  i.  e.  Major  of  the  Sirbaas,  who  at  the 
same  time  added,  "That  cursed  Nayeb  receives  every  year  thirty 
thousand  tillahs  from  the  King,  in  order  to  equip  the  soldiers,  and  for 
the  cannon  foundry,  but  he  puts  the  money  into  his  pocket,  and  suffers 
the  poor  soldiers  to  go  barefoot  and  starve.  He  is  an  enemy  to  his 
own  country,  Persia ;  and  though  a  Guzl-Bash  himself,  woe  to  that 
Guzl-Bash  who  is  sold  to  him  as  a  slave.  He  never  gives  them  their 
liberty,  except  by  paying  to  him  three  times  as  much  as  an  Usbeck 
would  demand.  Here  is  Assad  Ullah  Beg,  who  has  been  demanded 
three  times  by  the  Haje  of  Persia  ;  and  it  would  only  cost  the  Nayeb 
a  few  words  to  the  King  to  give  him  liberty  to  return  to  Persia,  but 
he  has  not  spoken  one  single  word  to  the  King." 

And  I  know  myself  that  Assad  Ullah  Beg  was  only  sent  back  to 
Persia  by  the  Nayeb  after  having  paid  to  him  ninety  tillahs,  the  whole 
earnings  of  the  poor  fellow  for  several  years ;  and  besides  this  a  shawl 
worth  one  hundred  tillahs,  whilst  an  Usbeck  would  not  have  demanded 
more  than  twenty  tillahs  for  the  ransom  of  Assad  Ullah  Beg. 

But  to  proceed  with  my  Narrative.  I  was  just  on  the  point  of  re- 
turning to  my  lodging  in  town  when  a  curious  and  rather  alarming 
incident  occurred. 

Hassan  Shirazi,  formerly  servant  to  Colonel  Stoddart,  entered  the 
garden,  and  seeing  the  Nayeb,  he  said,  "  My  heart  trembles  as  often 
as  I  come  here."  The  Nayeb  said,  "  Go  to  hell,  you  father  of  the 
Curse.  Who  tells  you  to  come  here  ?"  He  replied,  "  Many  have 
left  their  heads  and  bones  here,  who  have  entered  your  house."  The 
Nayeb  replied,  with  a  horrid  expression,  "  Go  to  hell."  The  Nayeb 
then  said,  "  To  show  you  what  sort  of  a  fellow  that  is,  when  Colonel 
Stoddart  was  put  to  death,  this  fellow,  his  servant,  being  suspected  of 
some  designs  against  the  Government,  was  sent  to  the  Black  Well. 
When  there  he  was  asked  by  one  of  the  Makhrams,  by  order  of  the 
Ameer,  '  What  conversations  did  the  Nayeb  hold  with  Colonel  Stod- 
dart ?'  Then  that  fellow,  Hassan  Shirazi,  to  implicate  me,  replied, 
1  That  Stoddart  and  I  had  agreed  that  if  English  or  Affghaun  troops 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  231 

should  come  to  Balkh,  to  join  them,'  and  he  also  stated  that  Stoddart 
and  I  (the  Nayeb)  had  read  together  two  letters  which  came  from 
Cabal,  and  then  burned  them." 

Now  it  is  very  remarkable  that  if  Hassan  Shirazi  was  such  a  bad 
fellow  as  the  Nayeb  tried  to  make  out,  and  a  traitor  to  Sto4dart  as 
well  as  to  himself,  that  he  (the  Nayeb)  previous  to  this  had  recom- 
mended Hassan  Shirazi  as  a  servant,  to  accompany  me  back  to  Per- 
sia.  But  the  fact  was  this,  that  the  Nayeb  maintained  a  secret  inter- 
course with  Hassan  Shirazi  and  the  other  servants  of  Colonel  Stoddart 
and  Captain  Conolly,  to  betray  them  first,  and  seize  on  their  effects 
afterwards ;  and  as  there  is  no  friendship  among  thieves,  they  natu- 
rally suspected  each  other.  When  I  now  think  over,  what  sort  of 
company  I  have  par  force  kept  in  these  regions,  I  am  fully  convinced, 
as  all  at  Bokhara  were,  that  the  Nayeb  intended  to  include  me  in  the 
number  of  his  victims.  I  cannot  but  look  back  with  horror  and  dis- 
may on  that  period.  The  countenance  of  that  villain,  Abdul  Samut 
Khan,  fell  daily  more  and  more,  exhibiting  daily  fresh  features  of  vil- 
lany,  the  mark  of  Cain  grew  darker  and  darker  in  his  vile  physiog- 
nomy, and  so  far  from  imagining  evil  where  no  evil  was,  which  has 
been  imputed  to  me,  the  quantity  of  evil  he  not  only  meditated,  but 
actually  committed,  exceeded  the  bounds  of  ordinary  imagination. 
My  readers  will  perceive  that  I  trusted  the  villain  only  too  long. 

I  must  proceed.  I  mounted  my  horse,  and  proceeded  to  the  Toorah 
Khane,  but  returned  the  next  day  to  the  Nayeb,  to  urge  him  for  leave 
to  depart.  Then  the  Nayeb  informed  me  that  he  had  put  in  irons 
Hassan  Shirazi,  and  incarcerated  him  on  my  account,  for  he  had  just 
found  out  that  he  was  married,  and  had  given  to  his  wife  the  four  til- 
lahs,  which  he  the  Nayeb  had  given  him  on  my  account  as  wages 
beforehand,  and  had  told  his  wife  that  she  should  go  to  a  certain  vil- 
lage, and  that  when  he  had  stolen  my  money  he  would  join  her ;  but 
the  real  reason  for  incarcerating  him  was,  that  the  Nayeb  began  to 
be  afraid  of  him. 


232  NARRATIVE   OF   THE    MISSION 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Disasters  of  the  Seikh  Army  in  Lassa.  Csoma  de  Koros ;  his  Researches ;  publishes 
a  Dictionary  of  the  Thibet  Language.  The  Surveillance  over  Dr.  Wolff  grows 
more  rigid.  Barhurdar,  an  Armenian,  ordered  not  to  visit  Dr.  Wolff  by  the  Ameer. 
Nasir  Khayr  Ullah,  a  Kaffer  Seeah  Poosh,  mistaken  for  Colonel  Stoddart  from 
the  fairness  of  his  complexion.  Conversation  between  Dr.  Wolff  and  the  Nayeb. 
Letter  of  Sir  Richmond  Shakspeare.  The  Nayeb  detains  in  his  possession  the 
Letter  of  Lord  Ellenborough  to  the  Ameer.  Nayeb  alarmed  ;  advises  Dr.  Wolff 
to  communicate  to  the  Ameer  the  fact  of  the  Letter  having  arrived ;  Dr.  Wolff 
does  so.  Hassan  Caboolee  dispatched.  Dr.  Wolff  discovers  that,  though  appa- 
rently sent,  he  did  not  really  go.  Affghaun  Bear  Leader  imprisoned  as  a  Spy ; 
he  tells  Dr.  Wolff  that  the  Ameer  sent  a  Lion  to  Russia  as  a  Present  to  the  Czar, 
for  which  his  Ambassador  was  munificently  rewarded ;  but  that  the  Czar  refused 
after  the  Execution  of  the  British  Officers  to  hold  any  further  Intercourse  with 
the  Ameer.  The  Ameer  goes  to  war  with  Khokand  and  Oratepa ;  orders  in  his 
absence  the  Guards  over  Dr.  Wolff  to  be  doubled,  and  tells  him  that  his  Departure 
will  depend  on  the  success  of  his  Expedition.  Dr.  Wolff  writes  to  Lady  Geor- 
giana  and  his  Son.  Conversations  with  Dil  Assa  Khan,  Abdullah,  and  others. 
Dr.  Wolff  bribes  the  Guards.  Previous  War  with  Khokand  ;  King  made  Prisoner 
and  put  to  death  by  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara ;  his  Wife  and  Child  barbarously 
murdered.  Abdul  Samut  Khan  the  chief  Agent  in  the  Slaugnter.  At  the  news 
of  the  Death  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  the  Inhabitants  of  Khokand  renew  the 
War.  The  Ameer  retreats  before  them  and  the  Khivites.  Dr.  Wolff  contrives 
to  acquaint  the  British  Envoy  at  Teheraun  of  the  movements  of  the  Ameer,  and 
warns  the  Town  of  Shahr  Sabz  of  the  King's  intention  to  attack  them.  Ameer 
says  that  nothing  prospers  with  him  since  the  Death  of  the  English  Officers.  The 
King  of  Khokand  offers  Dr.  Wolff  an  Asylum  in  his  Dominions. 

PREVIOUS  to  my  visit  to  the  Nayeb  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  Muhammedans  from  Cashmeer  called  on  me,  and  gave  me 
some  information  respecting  the  great  disasters  which  the  Seikhs  had 
experienced  on  their  march  to  Lassa,  the  capture  of  Thibet,  and  resi- 
dence of  the  Grand  Lama.  Several  thousands  of  the  Seikh  army  had 
been  frozen  to  death,  and  many  soldiers  had  been  found  frozen  in  the 
very  attitude  of  defence,  so  that  actually  the  Chinese,  when  approach- 
ing them,  doubted  whether  they  were  alive  or  dead,  and  dared  not 
disturb  them.  They  also  told  me  that  the  people  of  Thibet  have  a 
prophecy,  that  the  whole  country  will  fall  under  the  English  sway. 
Some  of  these  Cashmeerians  were  acquainted  with  the  Hungarian 
traveller,  Csoma  de  Koros,  who  spent  much  time  in  one  of  the  convents 
of  the  Lamas  near  Ladack,  where  he  made  researches  into  the  origin 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  233 

of  the  Hungarian  language  and  of  the  Huns.  This  extraordinary 
man  set  out  in  1826,  if  I  do  not  mistake,  for  this  purpose,  from  Paris, 
and  went  via  Constantinople  to  Persia,  in  the  disguise  of  a  derveesh. 
On  his  arrival  at  Teheraun,  he  received  the  kind  hospitality  of  Sir 
Henry  Willock.  Thence  he  went  to  Bokhara,  Lahore,  Ladack,  and 
Calcutta.  He  wrote  the  only  Dictionary  of  the  Thibet  language,  I 
believe,  extant,  and  then  died.  The  Cashmeerians  spoke  to  me  also 
of  Mr.  Vigne  and  Baron  Hugel. 

The  surveillance  over  me  kept  getting  more  and  more  severe.  An 
Armenian  merchant,  Barhurdar  by  name,  from  Astrachan,  sent  me 
word  by  Kouli,  a  servant  of  Dil  Assa  Khan,  one  of  the  servants  that 
was  kind  to  me,  that  I  should  excuse  his  absence,  for  the  Ameer  had 
sent  him  a  strict  order  not  to  approach  me. 

The  day  following  my  last  visit  to  the  Nayeb,  Nasir  Khayr  Ullah 
entered  the  garden.  Nasir  Khayr  Ullah  was  by  birth  a  Kaffer 
Seeah-Poosh,  who  are  called  by  many  Muhammedans,  from  the  fair- 
ness of  their  complexion,  Frankee,  and  this  is  the  reason  he  was  mis- 
taken by  some  for  Stoddart  himself,  whose  friend  he  pretended  to  be, 
or  perhaps  was.  He  intended,  he  said,  to  go  to  Teheraun,  to  get  some 
property  there.  This  accounts  for  the  information  that  Layard  ob- 
tained at  Constantinople,  of  Stoddart  being  alive,  and  passing  by  the 
name  of  Nasir  Khan,  for  Nasir  Khayr  Uullah  has  the  name  of  Nasir 
Khan.  He  was  formerly  a  slave,  but  acquired  considerable  property 
at  Bokhara.  He  showed  to  me  forged  letters  from  certain  people  who 
pretended  to  have  carried  the  bodies  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly  to  India, 
for  which  service  he  (Nasir  Khan)  says,  that  he  gave  to  them  one 
hundred  and  fifty  tillahs. 

The  following  conversations  took  place  on  that  day  between  me  and 
the  Nayeb. 

W.  Nayeb,  to-day  a  Jew  called  on  me,  and  showed  to  me  a  note  evi- 
dently written  by  Shakespeare  when  at  Jelaal-Abad ;  the  contents  of 
the  note,  far  as  I  can  recollect,  are  as  follows : 

Hussein  Cabulee  is  the  bearer  of  a  letter  written  by  the  Right  Honourable  the 
Governor-General  of  India  to  His  Highness  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  for  which  the 
bearer  has  received  one  hundred  rupees,  and  after  having  brought  an  answer  from 
His  Highness,  he  will,  on  delivery  to  any  British  authority,  receive  five  hundred  ru- 
pees more. 

(Signed)  SHAKESPEARE,  Military  Secretary. 

Camp  Jelaal-Abad. 

I  knew  that  such  a  letter  had  arrived  at  Bokhara,  and  even  your 
brother,  Hajee  Ibraheem,  told  me  himself  so. 
Nayeb  (pale  and  evidently  discomposed).     I  am  astonished  that  I 

30 


234  NARRATIVE   OF   THE    MISSION 

have  not  heard  of  this  letter  before.  Nasir  Khan  has  just  told  me 
that  a  Cabul  man  was  in  possession  of  such  a  letter,  but  he  says  that 
he  had  left  the  letter  at  Balkh. 

As  Nasir  Khan  was  already  gone,  he  said  that  he  must  send  to  him 
to  hear  more  about  it ;  for  when  he  (Abdul  Samut  Khan)  had  told  the 
King  that  Joseph  Wolff  asserted  that  the  Governor-General  had  written 
to  His  Majesty,  His  Majesty  replied,  "  Where  is  that  letter  ?"  In  the 
evening,  to  my  utter  surprise,  the  Nayeb  produced  the  same  note  of 
Shakespeare  which  I  saw  in  the  hand  of  the  Jew. 

I  heard  then  by  Mirza  Muhammed  Noori,  by  the  chief  servant  of 
the  Kasi  Kelaun,  by  Mullah  Makhsoom,  a  Tatshick,  and  by  Moolam 
Beyk,  that  the  Nayeb  had  been  all  the  time  in  possession  of  the  letter 
of  Lord  'Ellenborough,  and  the  other  of  Captain  Shakespeare,  and  that 
it  was  by  a  contrivance  of  the  Nayeb  with  Hassan  Caboole  that  the 
note  of  Shakespeare  was  shown  to  me  by  the  Jew  Moollah  Mesheakh. 
The  letter  of  Sir  Richmond  Shakespeare,  together  with  the  letter  of 
Lord  Ellenborough,  is,  as  will  be  seen,  in  the  hands  of  Colonel  Sheil ; 
and  as,  according  to  the  testimony  of  the  above  respectable  people,  the 
letter  with  Captain  Shakespeare's  note  arrived  before  the  execution  of 
Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  it  is  evident  that  the  official  date 
of  1259  Hejira,  corresponding  with  July,  1843, — which  was  given  to 
me  by  order  of  the  King  and  Abdul  Samut  Khan  at  the  beginning, — 
is  the  correct  date,  and  not  as  I  supposed  erroneous  when  I  arrived  at 
Teheraun  from  Bokhara.  Abdul  Samut  Khan  must  have  known  that 
to  be  a  mistake ;  for,  though  the  date  of  Shakespeare's  note  is  no  longer 
in  my  memory,  I  well  remember  that,  when  calculating  over  the  date 
of  the  note  of  Shakespeare,  and  its  arrival  at  Bokhara,  it  could  only 
have  been  one  year  before  my  arrival  there.  It  could  only  have  been 
in  1259,  as  the  Ameer  arid  Nayeb  first  told  me. 

On  the  Sunday  following  these  events,  the  Nayeb  went  to  the  King, 
and  after  two  hours  he  came  back  to  the  garden,  and  said,  "  Now  you 
have  leave  to  depart  with  all  speed.  The  King  asked  me  what  kind 
of  person  the  Ambassador  ought  to  be ;  I  told  him  that  he  ought  to  be 
an  Usbeck, — a  stout  fellow,  with  thick  head  and  little  beard." 

W.  When  will  all  be  ready  ? 

IV.  After  four  or  five  days. 

W.  This  is  too  long. 

IV.  Oh,  you  must  have  patience,  for  it  is  an  act  of  the  King. 
Everything  is  ready. 

Whilst  we  were  sitting  together  in  the  evening,  Mirza  Muhammed 
Nooree,  his  secretary,  and  others  of  his  officers  with  him,  he  said,  "  Now 
you  could  show  to  the  King  that  the  English  people  speak  the  truth  ; 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA. 

write  to  him  that  such  a  letter  actually  exists  here,  sent  from  the 
Governor-General,  and  that  His  Majesty  should  cause  search  to  be 
made  for  it." 

W.  I  shall  do  no  such  thing,  for  this  would  only  be  the  cause  of 
another  delay  ;  and  I  do  not  care  what  opinion  he  entertains  of  me  if 
he  only  lets  me  go. 

The  officers  sitting  by,  and  Mirza  Muhammed  Nooree,  agreed  with 
me,  that  this  would  cause  a  delay  ;  but  the  Nayeb  said,  "  By  the  head 
of  Abdullah  Khan,  my  son,  it  will  not.  Write  !  I  tell  you,  write  V 

I  wrote  to  the  King.  His  Majesty  sent  immediately  to  find  the 
man,  who  came  instantly  to  the  garden,  escorted  by  the  Makhram, 
and  also  Nasir  Khan  with  him. 

Hassan  Caboolee  (in  apparent  fright).  "Nayeb,  Nasir  Khan 
frightened  me,  and  therefore  I  did  not  deliver  the  letter ;  now  they 
will  kill  me.  Hasrat  (His  Majesty)  will  now  kill  me."  The  Nayeb 
said  to  him,  "  Be  not  afraid — say  where  is  the  letter."  And  gave 
him  a  significant  hint.  He  said,  "  At  Balkh."  He  was  despatched 
immediately  to  Balkh  at  my  cost.  Six  days  after,  I  saw  him  at  Bok- 
hara, which  I  told  the  Nayeb ;  he  replied,  that  somebody  else  went 
there  on  his  account. 

At  this  period,  I  was  brought  by  the  three  guards  to  the  garden  of 
the  Dastar  Khanjee,  where  I  met  with  an  AfFghaun,  who  came  here 
with  a  menagerie  of  wild  animals  two  years  ago,  and  as  the  King 
suspected  him  to  be  a  spy  of  the  King  of  Lahore,  he  detained  him 
prisoner  at  Bokhara.  He  however  displayed  a  Muhammedan  indiffer- 
ence about  his  fate.  He  spoke  to  me  with  high  regard  of  the  English 
nation.  He  had  taught  his  bear  to  dance,  of  which  he  gave  a  proof 
to  me. 

Of  this  person  also  I  learnt  that  the  Ameer  sent,  previous  to  the 
decapitation  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  a  lion  as  a 
present  to  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  for  which  his  Ambassador  was 
munificently  rewarded  by  the  Emperor ;  but  after  the  execution  of 
both  officers,  the  Ameer  sent  again  an  Ambassador  to  Russia,  with 
presents,  but  on  his  arrival  at  Orenbourg,  he  was  informed  by  the 
Governor  of  Orenbourg  that  the  Autocrat  would  have  no  more  inter- 
course with  the  King  of  Bokhara,  nor  was  His  Majesty  the  Emperor 
inclined  to  accept  any  letters  from  the  Ameer.  The  poor  man  who 
was  sent  as  Ambfcsador  returned  to  Bokhara,  and  has  been  since  in 
disgrace. 

In  the  month  of  June,  when  the  Ameer  went  with  his  army  to 
Samarcand  and  Khokand,  for  the  purpose  of  reconquering  Oratepa, 
which  had  rebelled  against  him,  and  also  Khokand,  my  prospects  of 


236  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

ever  being  set  at  liberty  were  but  weak ;  for,  previous  to  his  departure, 
he  gave  strict  orders  to  watch  me,  and  at  the  same  time  doubled  the 
guards,  and  gave  me  to  understand  that  my  receiving  permission  to 
depart  depended  on  the  success  of  his  expedition.  1  therefore  wrote 
the  following  letter  in  my  Bible  to  Lady  Georgiana  and  my  son 
Henry,  which  I  forwarded  to  Colonel  Sheil ;  but  Colonel  Sheil  not 
opening  the  Bible,  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  it,  and  kept  the  Bible 
with  him  until  my  return  to  Teheraun.  Here  is  the  letter : 

To  the  Right  Honourable  Lady  Georgiana  M.  Wolff,  and  Henry  Drummond 

Charles  Wolff. 
My  Dearest  Wife  and  Son,  Bokhara,  June,  1844. 

I  am  still  detained  at  Bokhara,  and  the  King  has  now  marched  against  Kho- 
kand.  Whatever  may  happen  to  me,  dearest  wife  and  son,  remember  that  you 
yourselves  have  nothing  to  reproach  yourselves,  for  it  was  my  own  choice  to  make 
the  journey,  in  order  to  liberate  the  prisoners,  and  remember  that  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  now  with  me.  I  am  not  unkindly  treated,  and  am  not  without  hopes  of 
being  allowed  at  last  to  return  with  the  Persian  Ambassador ;  though  one  cannot 
depend  upon  the  promise  of  an  unprincipled  tyrant,  and  Yar  Muhammed  Khan  of 
Heraut  has  advised  the  Ameer  by  three  Ambassadors  to  put  me  to  death.  God  has 
given  me  strength  to  await  his  will  with  patience  and  resignation.  Pray  amuse 
yourself,  and  go  to  Wiesbaden  in  summer.  I  am  well  treated,  but  am  not  allowed 
to  stir  out  without  three  guards,  and  am  strictly  watched.  Tell  my  dear  Henry  that 
ho  should  pardon  me  if  ever  I  have  hurt  his  feelings,  and  so  I  beg  you  to  pardon  me. 
I  have  never  ceased  to  love  you  tenderly,  both  of  you,  and  thank  God  that  we  are 
believers  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Your  affectionate  husband  and  father 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

Dil  Assa  Khan  entered  my  room  with  eight  Mervee,  and  he  began 
thus,  saying,  "  What  an  Englishman  are  you !  how  stingy !  Todd 
Saheb,  at  Heraut,  gave  to  the  Hazarah,  near  Heraut,  two  thousand  five 
hundred  tillahs  (ducats)  for  one  horse.  Pottinger  Saheb  gave  every 
year  thirty  thousand  tillahs  to  Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  and  do  you 
think  that  I  shall  be  satisfied  with  two  hundred  tillahs  ?  Two  hun- 
dred tillahs  are  good  for  nothing.  It  is  for  that  reason  that  I  have 
played  the  traitor,  which  I  never  would  have  done,  if  you  had  given 
me  three  thousand  tillahs  !" 

Then  his  people  began  :  "  And  what  have  you  done  for  us  ?  You 
ought  to  have  given  two  hundred  tillahs  to  every  one  of  us,  and  thus 
you  would  have  exalted  the  Queen  of  England,  and  made  her  name 
immortal.  Instead  of  this  you  gave  us  only  a  fewnfengas  (pence)  to 
pay  for  our  bath.  Do  you  think  that  the  Ameer  will  let  you  go  from 
here  without  our  interceding  for  you  ?  Far  from  it.  Abdul  Sarnut 
Khan  himself  tells  us  that  you  ought  to  make  us  comfortable." 

Abdullah,  my  servant,  entered  then  my  room  and  said,  "  The  whole 


OP   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  237 

town  of  Bokhara  speak  with  certainty  that  the  Ameer  will  put  you  to 
death,  for  it  is  the  wish  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  and  all  the  Serkerdeha 
(grandees) ;  and  the  King  of  Persia,  being  a  Sheah,  has  no  influence 
at  Bokhara ;  but  if  you  satisfy  our  demands,  we  will  save  your  life." 
I  turned  them  all  out  of  the  room. 

Then  a  tailor  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  entered,  saying,  "  Abdul  Sa- 
mut Khan  has  given  to-day  one  hundred  tillahs  to  the  Shekhawl ;  he 
does  everything  for  you,  but  you  must  spend  your  money  ;  if  not,  he 
will  fail  in  his  trouble."  I  turned  him  out  of  my  room. 

The  Ameer  Sarog,  and  Kaher  Kouli,  who  had  behaved  exceedingly 
well  for  a  while,  so  that  I  gave  them  a  testimonial  for  their  good  con- 
duct, said,  "  Mullah  Youssuf  Wolff,  tillahs  (ducats)  are  sweet ;  we 
dream  of  tillahs  day  and  night,  and  we  dreamt  last  night  that  you,  on 
your  return  to  England,  sate  near  your  Monarch,  and  all  the  grandees 
of  your  country  kissed  the  hem  of  your  garment.  The  most  beauti- 
ful women  crowded  around  you,  and  desired  to  be  your  wives,  and 
you  took  the  daughter  of  the  Queen  as  your  lawful  wife.  *  *  *  * 
You  will  live  in  the  finest  palace,  except  the  Queen's,  and  fanned  by 
dancing  girls ;  and  if  you  shall  say  to  her,  «  Oh,  my  Queen,  cut  off 
the  head  of  this  or  that  person,'  she  will  immediately  follow  your  ad- 
vice. Both  of  us,  Kaher  Kouli  and  I,  Ameer  Sarog,  dreamt  this  at 
one  and  the  same  time,  and  therefore  it  will  become  true." 

Then  the  Guards  entered,  and  told  me  that  they  would  admit  any 
one  in  case  that  I  gave  them  money.  This  I  was  forced  to  do. 

The  war  with  Khokand  commenced  about  this  period,  and  the 
Ameer,  leaving  Abdul  Samut  Khan  to  follow  him,  proceeded  thither. 
This  was  the  second  war  with  the  people  of  that  unfortunate  country 
in  which  the  present  Ameer  had  engaged.  I  shall  here  give  the  details 
of  the  first. 

Muhammed  AH  Khan  reigned  at  that  time  at  Khokand,  a  very  mild 
monarch,  and  fond  of  Europeans.  He  treated  Conolly  with  great  dis- 
tinction, and  always  advised  him  not  to  go  to  Bokhara.  But  Muham- 
med Ali  Khan  was  addicted  to  the  vice  of  drinking,  and  to  women, 
which  gave  time  to  Nasir  Ullah  Behadur,  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  to 
fit  out  an  arrny  against  him  ;  and  he  marched  with  several  thousand 
irregular  troops  and  four  hundred  regular  troops,  and  six  pieces  of  ar- 
tillery, commanded  by  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  towards  Khokand,  in  the 
year  1842,  after  Conolly  had  left  the  town.  He  took  Khokand  by  sur- 
prise. Muhammed  Ali  Khan  intended  to  escape,  but  was  made  pris- 
oner, with  his  wife.  The  cruel  Nasir  Ullah  Behadur,  at  the  advice  of 
Abdul  Samut  Khan,  put  not  only  Muhammed  Ali  Khan  to  death,  but 
also  his  wife,  pregnant  with  child.  The  child  was  taken  out  of  her 


238  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

and  murdered.  The  slaughter  continued  a  whole  day.  Abdul  Samut 
Khan  told  me,  smiling,  "  I  never  give  quarter  to  any  prisoner,  I  al- 
ways kill  every  one."  As  soon  as  the  inhabitants  of  Khokand  re- 
ceived the  news  that  both  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  had 
been  put  to  death,  they  made  themselves  again  independent,  and  elect- 
ed the  nephew  of  Muhammed  Ali  Khan,  Sheer  Ali  Khan  by  name,  as 
their  King,  and  made  an  alliance  with  the  King  of  Khiva  against  the 
King  of  Bokhara.  The  Ameer  of  Bokhara  marched  against  Khiva, 
but  was  defeated ;  on  his  return  to  Bokhara  he  said,  "  My  bowels  of 
compassion  did  not  allow  me  to  shed  more  blood  !" 

During  my  stay  at  Bokhara  he  prepared  again  an  expedition 
against  Khokand,  and  arrived  near  Oratepa.  As  soon  as  he  had 
learnt  that  Sheer  Ali  Khan  came  out  to  meet  him  with  eleven  thou- 
sand Ghirgese,  he  returned.  I  sent,  previous  to  his  march,  a  Jew  to 
Bokhara,  to  give  notice  to  Sheer  Ali  Khan  of  the  design  of  the  Ameer. 
My  readers  have  already  perceived  that  I  had  given  notice  to  Colonel 
Sheil  of  the  same.  For  though  he  had  declared  that  in  case  that  he 
should  be  beaten  he  would  put  me  to  death,  I  thought  it  advisable,  for 
the  sake  of  humanity,  to  risk  my  life.  He  was  beaten  !  I  also  was 
informed  that  he  intended  to  take  by  surprise  Shahr  Sabz,  a  town 
which  never  was  subdued  by  the  Kings  of  Bokhara  ;  for  the  surround- 
ing country  can  be  inundated,  so  that  he  cannot  bring  there  artillery, 
and  besides  this  the  Shahr  Sabz  are  very  good  horsemen.  I  therefore 
sent  there  also  a  Jew,  giving  notice  to  the  Khan  of  the  design  of  the 
Ameer  to  surprise  Shahr  Sabz  on  his  way  to  Khokand.  When  the 
Ameer  came  near  Shahr  Sabz  he  found  the  whole  country,  in  conse- 
quence, inundated,  so  that  his  army  went  towards  Samarcand  by 
another  direction.  The  Ameer  was  heard  to  say,  "Since  I  have 
killed  these  English  people  I  do  not  prosper  in  anything."  I  had  for 
about  ten  days  at  this  period  a  Makhram,  a  kind-hearted  guard,  who 
allowed  Muhammedans  to  come  to  me ;  among  others  a  Cashmeerian 
came  to  me,  who  said,  "  Sheer  Ali  Khan,  the  King  of  Khokand,  is 
very  anxious  that  you  should  come  to  Khokand,  in  order  that  he  may, 
through  you,  send  presents  to  the  Queen  of  England." 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  239 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Mervee  wish  to  know  the  Story  of  Napoleon ;  Dr.  Wolff  Recounts  it  in  an 
Oriental  fashion.  He  amuses  the  tedious  hours  of  Captivity  by  telling  various 
Anecdotes.  His  Anecdote  of  the  Arabian  Derveesh  reaches  the  ears  of  the  Daster 
Khanjee,  who  reports  it  to  the  Ameer.  The  Kasi  Kelaun  assures  Dr.  Wolff  that 
the  British  Officers  were  put  to  death,  and  that  the  King  deeply  repented  of  the 
act.  The  Kasi  Kelaun  warned  the  Ameer  of  the  Consequences.  All  the  Jews 
knew  of  the  Execution  the  same  day,  and  the  Inhabitants  of  Bokhara,  in  town 
and  country,  speak  of  it  as  a  matter  well  known.  Dr.  Wolff  tells  an  Anecdote  of 
Frederick  the  Great  of  Russia.  Dr.  Wolff  laughs  at  Ameer  Sarog's  Vanity,  and 
tells  him  the  Tale  of  the  Derveesh  with  the  White  Beard. 

SOME  of  the  Mervee  who  called  on  me  at  this  time,  wished  me  to 
make  them  acquainted  with  the  life  of  Napoleon.  I  will  give  my 
readers  an  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  European  facts  must  be  told 
to  Eastern  people.  I  began  thus — bearing  in  mind  that  much  of  what 
I  said  would  be  considered. as  referable  to  my  own  circumstances: 
"  There  is  a  country  in  Frankistaun,  which  is  called  the  Land  of  the 
Francees,  which  had  a  great  Padishah.  He  had  under  his  dominion, 
besides  the  land  of  Francees,  a  little  island,  which  is  called  Corsica,  in 
which  is  a  little  town  with  the  name  of  Ajaccio.  One  of  the  Ser- 
kerdeha  residing  there  was  named  Bonaparte,  who  had  several  sons ; 
the  name  of  the  elder  was  Lucien— of  the  younger,  Napoleon,  who 
had  a  great  inclination  for  becoming  a  Yoos-Bashi,  or  some  other  chief 
among  the  soldiers ;  but  as,  in  Europe,  no  person  can  become  a  chief 
of  soldiers  without  having  first  studied  the  art  of  soldiery  in  a  school 
purposely  established  for  that  object,  Napoleon  was  sent  to  a  school 
in  the  land  of  Francees,  in  a  small  town  called  Brienne,  where  he 
kept  but  little  company,  and  made  such  progress  that  he  was  sent  to 
the  capital  of  Francees,  Paris.  At  this  time  the  people  of  the  land  of 
the  Francees  rose  against  their  King,  for,  on  their  side,  they  had  lost 
the  fear  of  God  ;  and  on  the  part  of  the  King,  he  was  not  governed  by 
wise  counsellors :  and  it  came  to  such  a  pitch  that  they  at  last  put  to 
death  the  King  and  the  Queen.  And  as  that  King  and  Queen  were 
related  to  other  Padishahs  of  Europe,  and  especially  to  the  Padishah 
of  Nemsa,  i.  e.  Germany,  they  became  involved  in  war,  especially  as 
the  greater  number  of  the  people  of  the  land  of  Francees  began  to 
deny  all  religion,  and  even  the  existence  of  a  God,  and  persecuted 
those  who  said,  <  We  will  rather  die  than  give  up  our  belief  in  God 
and  in  Jesus.' 


240  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

"  At  that  time,  as  I  said,  the  young  Napoleon  was  brought  from 
the  school,  and  distinguished  himself  at  the  taking  of  towns  which 
were  not  willing  to  yield  to  the  rebels ;  so  that  Napoleon,  who  was 
first  Yoos-Bashi,  was  made  Sirhenk,  Colonel ;  and  in  the  war  with 
the  Emperor  of  Nemsa,  he  distinguished  himself  by  his  intrepidity,  so 
that  he  became  Serteeb,  i.  e.  General ;  at  which  time  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  a  lady,  by  whom  it  was  foretold  by  a  Kawlee-Berband 
(gipsy)  that  she  should  become  a  great  Queen,  but  then  fall  again. 

"  Napoleon  then  went  to  Egypt  with  an  army,  took  the  whole  of 
it,  but  was  driven  out  by  the  Englees ;  and  after  that  he  had  a  battle 
with  the  combined  armies  of  the  King  of  Nemsa  and  the  Emperor  of 
Russia,  in  which  he  beat  both  of  them.  He  was  made  Padishah  of 
the  Land  of  the  Francees,  and  thus  the  prophecy  of  the  Kawlee-Ber- 
band was  fulfilled.  But  Napoleon  was  not  satisfied.  He  wished  to 
become  like  Timur  Kurican,  not  only  a  Jehaun  Geer,  but  also  a  Je- 
haun  Dar,  and  he  became  proud ;  and  he  said  as  the  Prophet  Isaiah 
(the  comfort  of  God  and  peace  upon  him !)  predicted :  '  I  will  sit  in 
the  sides  of  the  north ;'  and  he  went  therefore  to  Russia,  where  he 
was  overcome  by  the  snow,  and  by  the  army  of  Russia,  and  defeated. 

"  At  last  all  the  armies  of  the  different  Kings  of  Frankistaun,  even 
the  Emperor  of  Nemsa,  whom  he  had  compelled  to  give  him  his 
daughter,  combined  against  him,  when  he  was  beaten  by  the  great 
Serteeb  of  the  English,  Arthur  Wellington,  and  the  Serteeb  of  the 
Prussians,  Bliicher.  He  was  made  the  prisoner  of  the  English,  and 
died  in  an  island  which  is  situated  between  the  land  of  the  Ghurb  and 
Hindustaun ;  and  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  was  thus  fulfilled  :  '  They 
that  see  thee  shall  narrowly  look  upon  thee,  and  consider  thee.  Is  this 
the  man  that  made  the  earth  to  tremble,  and  did  shake  kingdoms  ? 
that  made  the  world  as  a  wilderness  and  destroyed  the  cities  thereof? 
that  opened  not  the  house  of  his  prisoners  ?'  And  the  prediction  of 
the  Kawlee-Berband  was  fulfilled,  that  his  Queen  should  fall  again." 

My  readers  will  be  surprised  to  perceive,  that  though  a  prisoner,  and 
not  allowed  to  stir  out  of  the  house  unwatched,  that  I  could  amuse 
myself  by  entertaining  those  very  people  who  betrayed  me  and  im- 
prisoned me,  by  telling  them  different  anecdotes  ;  but  I  did  so.  They 
certainly  thought  me  the  strangest  of  captives.  They  were  one  even- 
ing all  seated  around  me,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  Ismael  Khan,  Kouli,  Kaher 
Kouli,  Ameer  Sarog,  and  others  of  the  Mervee.  Each  of  these  fellows 
was  well  calculated  to  be  a  torch  leader  in  the  race  of  rascality. 

I  told  them  the  following  story.  They  were  all  silent.  There  was 
a  derveesh  in  Arabia,  renowned  in  the  whole  of  Arabistaun  as  a  witty 
man.  When  that  derveesh  passed  the  house  of  a  great  Mufti,  he  wrote 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  241 

in  Arabic  three  times  upon  the  wall  the  word  Donkey,  and  to  each  of 
these  three  donkeys  he  wrote  a  meaning.  He  said,  the  first  donkey 
is  he  who  has  a  watch  and  asks  what  o'clock  it  is ;  and  the  second 
donkey  is  he  who  has  a  horse  and  who  walks  on  foot.  Here  I  paused, 
and  said  nothing,  when  the  whole  body  of  my  hearers  exclaimed, 
"  Who  is  the  third  ?"  and  I  said,  "  Every  one  of  you." 

This  anecdote  reached  the  ears  of  the  Daster  Khanjee,  who  wrote 
to  the  King,  then  on  the  expedition  to  Khokand,  the  following  words : 
"  Youssuf  Wolff,  the  Englishman,  Your  Majesty's  slave,  is  now  very 
cheerful,  and  gets  fat  from  Your  Majesty's  bounty ;  and  he  has 
taken  in  the  whole  party  who  visited  him  with  the  following  anec- 
dote." 

I  had  also  a  visit  at  this  time  from  the  Kasi  Kelaun,  relative  to 
Stoddart  and  Conolly.  My  readers  will  ask  me,  and  I  have  been 
asked  in  England,  What  evidences  have  you  that  Stoddart  and  Con- 
olly are  dead  ?  I  say,  first,  that  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  King  would 
have  given  anything  to  restore  them  to  me.  Even  the  Kasi  Kelaun, 
on  this  secret  visit,  told  me  that  he  had  never  so  repented  of  any  act 
as  of  that  one :  and  the  Kasi  Kelaun  himself  also  said,  one  afternoon 
when  all  around  me  were  asleep,  "  I  warned  His  Majesty,  but  he  will 
never  hear  advice,  and  I  warned  him  one  hour  before  he  perpetrated 
the  act."  All  the  Jews  knew  it  the  very  day  of  the  execution,  and 
they  all  told  me  of  it ;  and  thus  every  inhabitant  of  Bokhara,  and  of 
all  the  country  around,  speak  of  it  as  a  matter  well  known. 

On  another  occasion  I  told  a  large  party  the  following  anecdote, 
which  I  was  obliged  to  introduce  somewhat  oddly  to  make  it  intel- 
ligible : 

A  great  Padishah  reigned  in  Nemsa,  whose  name  was  Frederick, 
and  who  went  by  the  name  of  The  Great.  He  waged  a  seven  years' 
war  with  many  Padishahs,  and  though  his  men  were  few,  he  routed 
all  his  foes.  As  the  language  of  the  Nemsa  is  different  from  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Francees,  he  one  day  gave  the  following  order :  "  I, 
Frederick,  have  condescended  to  order,  that  if  at  any  time  one  of  the 
men  of  the  country  of  the  Francees  comes  and  says,  *  I  wish  to  become 
a  soldier  in  the  army  of  the  Padishah  Frederick,'  the  Sirhenks  and 
my  officers  are  hereby  commanded  not  to  enlist  him  ;  as  the  Francees 
are  never  able  to  learn  the  language  of  the  Nemsa,  and  give,  conse- 
quently, a  great  deal  of  trouble."  However,  there  came  one  day  a 
man  from  the  land  of  the  Francees,  who  was  very  tall,  and,  as  the 
Sirhenks  knew  that  Frederick  the  Great  liked  tall  soldiers,  they  said, 
"  Let  us  take  him,  and  try  to  teach  him  the  language  of  Nemsa,  in 
Order  that  the  King  may  not  find  out  that  he  is  a  Francees."  How- 

31 


242  NARRATIVE    OF    THE    MISSION 

ever,  all  their  attempts  to  teach  him  the  language  of  Nemsa  were 
vain,  so  that  they  taught  him  by  rote  the  answers  to  three  questions, 
which  the  King  asked  every  year  of  every  soldier,  and  of  which  he 
never  changed  the  order.  The  first  question  which  the  King  asked 
of  every  soldier  was,  "  How  old  are  you  ?"  To  which  the  soldier 
replied,  giving  his  age.  The  second  was,  "  How  long  have  you  been 
in  the  service  V  To  which  the  soldier  replied  according  to  circum- 
stances. The  third  question  was,  "  Are  you  contented  with  pay  and 
food  ?"  To  which  he  answered  by  the  word  Both.  The  Sirhenk 
taught  the  soldier  (the  Francees)  the  following  words,  as  answers  to 
the  three  questions  :  "  Twenty  years,"  "  Three  years,"  and  "  Both." 
These  he  got  by  heart,  and  they  told  him  to  say  at  the  first  question, 
Twenty  years ;  at  the  second,  Three  years  ;  and  at  the  third,  Both. 
The  King  arrived  after  a  year,  and  reviewed  his  soldiers,  and  put 
questions  to  every  one  of  them,  according  to  the  usual  order.  But 
when  he  came  to  the  tall  man  of  Francees,  he  changed  the  order,  put- 
ting the  first  question,  "  How  many  years  have  you  been  in  my  ser- 
vice 1"  He  answered,  "  Twenty  years."  The  second  question  of 
the  King  was,  "  How  old  are  you  ?"  To  which  he  replied,  "  Three." 
Hasrat  then  demanded,  "  Am  I  a  donkey,  or  you  a  donkey  ?"  To 
which  he  replied,  "  Both." 

At  another  time  Ameer  Sarog,  the  old  roguish  Turkomaun,  sitting 
in  the  company  of  others  with  me,  boasted  that  he  had  the  finest  beard 
in  the  company,  and  that  it  was  completely  white.  I  replied,  "  Ameer 
Sarog,  do  you  know  the  dream  of  a  derveesh  ?  A  derveesh  dreamt 
one  day  that  he  saw  standing  before  him  an  old  man  with  a  fine  ven- 
erable beard  :  the  derveesh  said  to  him,  '  Oh,  I  know  thee  who  thou 
art ;  thou  shalt  not  deceive  me  with  thy  fine  white  beard.  I  know 
thee,  that  thou  art  Satan,'  and  began  to  pull  out  his  beard.  Upon 
which  the  derveesh  awoke,  and  had  his  own  beard  pulled  out."  I 
then  said  to  Ameer  Sarog,  "  Take  care  that  you  have  not  a  similar 
dream,  for  then  you  will  lose  your  beard  to  a  certainty."  They  all 
burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter,  and  said,  "  Don't  boast  of  your  venera- 
ble beard  in  the  presence  of  Youssuf  Wolff,  for  he  laughs  in  your 
beard." 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  243 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Abdul  Samut  Khan  told  Dr.  Wolff  that  he  was  the  chief  Instigator  of  the  Slaughter 
at  Khokand  in  the  first  War ;  his  Motives  were  to  create  a  Feud  between  the 
States,  which  he  trusted  would  end  in  the  Death  of  the  Ameer.  Abdul  Samut 
Khan  said  that  the  first  Expedition  against  Khokand  was  by  the  advice  of  Rus- 
sia. People  of  Khokand  have  since  made  an  Alliance  with  Russia.  Policy  of 
Russia  was  to  bring  this  about  by  urging  the  Ameer  to  war  on  them  when  they 
would  require  Aid.  Russians  intend  to  erect  a  Fortress  at  Hasrat  Sultan.  People 
from  Cabul,  Kashmeer,  and  Scinde  call  on  Dr.  Wolff;  they  praise  highly  Sir 
Charles  Napier.  Affghauns  from  Cabul  ascribe  the  Disasters  of  the  British  Army 
to  the  Immoral  Conduct  of  the  Officers.  Determined  Conduct  of  Major  Raw 
linsou ;  he  puts  to  Death  an  Affghaun  for  Murder.  Manners  and  Customs  of  the 
Muhammedan  Mullahs.  Diligence  of  Muhammedans  in  copying  the  Koran; 
Propaganda  and  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  discharge  the  same  Office  by 
the  Christians.  The  Bible  would  be  nearly  extinct  in  the  East  but  for  these 
Societies.  Arrival  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  the  Persian  Ambassador  ;  he  tells  Dr. 
Wolff  that  the  Shah,  Haje,  and  Assaff-ood-Dowla  had  strongly  recommended 
him  to  bring  Dr.  Wolff  with  him,  or  to  send  him  on  before  him.  Nayeb  sends 
for  Dr.  Wolff;  informs  him  that  Yar  Muhammed  Khan  had  sent  three  Ambassa- 
dors to  Bokhara,  stating  that  Colonel  Sheil  had  called  the  Ameer  a  Robber  in  the 
presence  of  the  Russian  and  Yar  Muhammed  Khan's  Ambassadors,  of  Dr.  Wolff, 
and  the  Bokhara  Ambassador;  therefore  Yar  Muhammed  Khan  advised  tho 
Ameer  to  strike  off  Dr.  Wolff's  Head.  Nayeb  offers  Dr.  Wolff  his  Protection. 
Turkish  Officer  dies  suddenly  in  the  Nayeb's  Garden.  Another  Conversation 
with  the  Nayeb.  The  Nayeb  reports  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's  Mission  untruly.  Dr. 
Wolff  tries  to  escape.  The  Nayeb  violates  his  promise  to  protect  Dr.  Wolff.  The 
King  sends  for  him.  Dr.  Wolff  charges  the  Nayeb  with  the  Murder  of  Stoddart 
and  Conolly ;  the  Nayeb  owns  it.  Dr.  Wolff  again  tries  to  escape  through  a 
Water  Hole  from  the  Garden  of  the  Nayeb  to  the  House  of  the  Yawer.  While 
there  a  Woman  is  introduced  to  him  ;  he  is  aware  of  the  Stratagem  to  compel 
him  by  her  means  to  embrace  Muhammedanism,  and  drives  her  from  him. 
Ordered  by  the  King  to  appear  before  him ;  leaves  the  Garden  of  Abdul  Samut 
Khan ;  presents  himself  before  the  Ameer,  who  receives  him  sternly.  Ordered 
to  the  Toora  Khane  and  close  Confinement ;  calls  on  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  who 
vows  to  save  him.  The  King  sends  word  to  him  that  he  may  quit  Bokhara  in 
two  ways ;  leaves  to  His  Majesty  the  choice  of  either.  King  sets  out  for  Sa- 
marcand. 

RELATIVE  to  the  first  war  on  Khokand,  I  have  stated  that  Abdul 
Samut  Khan  was  the  chief  instigator  of  the  fearful  slaughter  which 
then  took  place.  The  reasons  that  induced  Abdul  Samut  Khan  to 
advise  the  King  of  Bokhara  to  put  to  death  the  King  of  Khokand,  and 
to  massacre  as  many  as  possible  of  the  inhabitants,  were,  that  there 


244  NARRATIVE   OF  THE  MISSION 

might  be  an  eternal  blood  feud  between  the  two  States.  This  feud 
he  trusted  would  end  in  the  death  of  the  Ameer.  These  circumstan- 
ces he  communicated  to  me  himself. 

At  the  time  when  this  miscreant  pretended  to  be  my  friend,  he  told 
me  also  another  highly  important  circumstance,  which  was  this  :  that 
Boutenieff,  the  Russian  ambassador,  strongly  advised  the  King  of  Bok- 
hara to  make  war  on  Khokand  before  the  first  expedition ;  and  it  is 
remarkable  that  since  he  made  war  for  the  first  time,  the  people  of 
Khokand,  as  Abdul  Samut  Khan  told  me,  have  entered  into  an  alli- 
ance with  Russia  ;  and  it  is  a  subject  much  canvassed,  that  the  Rus- 
sians intend  to  erect  a  fortress  at  or  near  the  city  called  Hazrat  Sul- 
tan, otherwise  called  Turkistaun. 

On  another  day,  during  the  expedition  of  the  King  to  Khokand, 
people  from  Cabul,  Kashmeer,  and  Scinde,  called  on  me ;  those  of 
Scinde  expressed  their  highest  admiration,  not  only  of  the  valour  and 
heroism  of  Sir  Charles  Napier,  but  also  of  his  justice  and  equity. 
They  said  his  name  frightens  the  Polooj  more  than  the  mentioning  of 
the  approach  of  an  army  ;  and  I  say  it  again,  that  I  am  sure  that  Sir 
Charles  Napier  would  be  the  fittest  man  for  being  sent  to  Bokhara. 
But  now  I  come  to  a  very  delicate  point.  Affghauns  from  Cabul  at 
Bokhara,  and  also  after  my  departure  from  Bokhara  through  the  des- 
ert to  Meshed,  ascribed  the  disaster  of  the  Bi  itish  army,  and  the  in- 
dignation of  the  people  of  Affghaun  against  the  army,  to  the  conduct 
of  several  British  officers,  whose  names  I  forbear  mentioning,  and 
who  shocked  the  feelings  of  the  natives  by  their  introducing  into  the 
country  the  "  vices  of  Europeans,"  and  by  the  liberties  they  took  with 
Affghaun  women.  We  see  from  this,  that  the  exertions  of  judicious 
missionaries,  who  speak  with  the  Muhammedans  about  the  name  of 
Jesus,  may  not  shock  the  Orientals,  but  the  immoralities  of  Europeans 
assuredly  will.  The  general  idea  around  Cabul,  is,  that  most  of  the 
British  officers  did  not  believe  in  a  God.  At  Candahar  it  is  quite  dif- 
ferent ;  the  names  of  Major  Rawlinson,  of  Nott,  of  Lugin,  of  Todd, 
are  mentioned  with  regard  ;  and  the  following  account  which  I  heard 
at  Bokhara  about  Major  Rawlinson  pleased  me  very  much,  and  the 
people  who  related  it  spoke  with  admiration  of  Major  Rawlinson's 
self-possession  at  the  following  occurrence. 

An  Affghaun  in  open  daylight  put  to  death  an  Englishman  at  Can- 
dahar ;  he  was  brought  bound  before  Major  Rawlinson.  The  Major 
addressed  him,  "  Why  have  you  murdered  that  Saheb •?"  The  Aff- 
ghaun answered,  "  I  would  kill  you  if  my  hands  were  not  bound." 
The  Major,  "  Why  so  ?"  The  Affghaun  replied  sternly,  "  What 
business  have  you  infidels  to  enter  our  home  ?  You  infidels  have  no 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  245 

business  in  our  home.  Affghanistaun  belongs  to  us,  and  it  belonged 
to  our  ancestors.  What  business  have  you  in  our  home?"  An 
Affghaun  present  turned  to  Major  Rawlinson,  and  in  order  to  save  the 
criminal  said  to  him,  "  Major,  he  is  mad."  The  murderer  heard  him, 
and  said,  "  I  am  not  mad ;  I  am  full  of  understanding :  these  infidels 
have  no  business  in  our  home."  Upon  which  the  Affghaun  paid  the 
penalty  of  his  crime  by  death. 

I  have  now  to  touch  on  another  point,  namely,  on  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  Muhammedan  mullahs  at  Bokhara,  and  all  over  the 
world.  The  dignity  Of  Sheikh-Islam,  of  Cazi,  of  MufFti,  of  Imam- 
Jumaa,  are  the  highest  which  are  in  the  Muhammedan  persuasion, 
and  they  correspond  to  those  of  archbishops  and  bishops  in  the  Chris- 
tian  Church,  and  the  honours  conferred  on  them  by  the  monarch  ex- 
ceed those  conferred  on  the  Christian  clergy  by  any  King :  thus,  for 
instance,  the  Sultan  kisses  the  hand  of  the  Sheikh-Islam  at  Constanti- 
nople, and  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  kisses  the  hand  of  the  Sheikh-Islam 
there  ;  yet  those  very  Sheikh-Islams  are  surrounded  by  the  poor  of 
their  nation  and  the  poorest  has  free  access  to  the  Sheikh-Islam.  We 
frequently  hear  poor  mullahs  (priests)  and  others  of  the  poor  laity 
say,  "  I  must  go  to  my  Sheikh-Islam  at  Bokhara ;"  and  I  heard  others 
say,  "  I  must  go  to  the  Imam-Jumaa  at  Meshed  :"  and  this  confidence 
of  the  poor  towards  their  clergy  is  also  prevalent  among  the  Arme- 
nian, Greek,  and  Chaldean  and  Jacobite  Christians, — "  I  must  go  up 
to  the  Katokhikos  at  Ech-Miazin,  in  order  to  receive  relief:"  one 
hears  the  same  thing  said  in  the  Armenian  dwellings  at  Wagarshabat, 
and  in  those  around  Mount  Ararat.  This  confidence  of  the  poor  in 
their  prelates  also  prevails  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  there 
exists  also  a  strong  reliance  of  the  poor  on  their  ecclesiastical  author- 
ities among  the  Lutherans  in  Germany.  I  frequently  saw,  in  the 
year  1811,  the  Superintendent-general  Voigt,  at  Saxe  Weimar,  and 
Dr.  Flatt,  at  Tubingen,  surrounded  by  poor,  and  I  heard  those  very 
superintendents  frequently  listening,  not  only  to  the  entreaties  but  even 
to  the  insulting  remarks  of  the  poor,  who  are  often  very  impertinent ; 
1  say  I  heard  them  frequently  listening  to  them  with  the  greatest  at- 
tention. It  were  highly  desirable  that  this  prevailed  to  a  greater  ex- 
tent in  Christian  countries  among  the  dignitaries  of  their  respective 
establishments. 

The  Muhammedans  are  also  very  diligent  in  copying  their  Koran, 
on  which  account  thousands  of  copies  are  always  extant.  This  is  not 
the  case  with  copies  of  the  Bible.  Neither  Jews  nor  Christians  have 
the  means  of  obtaining  many  written  copies  of  their  sacred  documents ; 
and  therefore,  if  the  Propaganda  had  not  in  former  times,  and  the 


246  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  in  our  times,  sent  printed  copies  to 
the  East,  the  Christians  would  certainly  have  been  without  &ny  copies 
of  the  sacred  records,  save  a  few  preserved  in  convents. 

At  last,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  the  Persian  Ambassador,  on  whom  1 
knew  my  life  depended,  arrived.  I  called  on  him  the  first  day,  when 
he  told  me  that  Muhammed  Shah,  the  Haje,  and  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla, 
had  strongly  recommended  him  either  to  bring  me  back,  or  send  me 
on  before  him ;  but  I  was  scarcely  with  him  a  few  minutes  when  the 
Nayeb  sent  for  me  to  give  me  important  news.  I  immediately  went 
to  him,  and  he  said  that  there  had  arrived  now  three  Ambassadors 
from  Yar  Muhammed  Khan,  saying  that  Colonel  Sheil  and  myself, 
when  at  Teheraun,  had  quarrelled  with  the  Bokhara  Ambassador ; 
that  Colonel  Sheil  had  called  the  Ameer  a  robber,  who  had  stolen  Stod- 
dart  and  Conolly's  property  ;  and  that  Colonel  Sheil  had  done  so  in  the 
presence  of  the  Russian  and  Yar  Muhammed  Khan's  Ambassadors ; 
and  that  he  (Yar  Muhammed  Khan)  therefore  advised  the  King  to  cut 
off  my  head  ;  but  the  Nayeb  said,  "  Now  remain  with  me  here  in  the 
garden  ;  if  the  King  does  not  send  for  you  in  a  few  days,  I  will  let 
you  escape,  either  to  Shahr-Sabz  or  Organtsh.  I  swear  to  you  by  the 
head  of  Abdullah  Khan — by  the  Koran — that  I  will  do  so ;  and  if  the 
King  will  take  you  by  force,  I  will  beat  the  drum— drum !  drum  ! 
drum !  and  say,  «  Halt,  Front !'  for  I  know  that  the  King  will 
send  you  home.  The  King  said  that  he  knew  that  Yar  Muhammed 
Khan  was  a  liar  and  told  me  a  few  words  which  convince  me  that  he 
will  not  kill  you  ;  i.  e.,  '  I  must  send  Joseph  Wolf  soon  away,  for  I 
have  had  wounds  enough  since  I  killed  Stoddart  and  Conolly.' '' 

A  few  days  after  this  conversation  a  Turkish  officer,  coming  from 
Constantinople,  and  intending  to  go  to  Khokand  to  see  his  mother 
there,  and  who  was  already  for  some  months  under  the  surveillance 
of  the  Nayeb,  suddenly  died  in  the  garden  of  the  Nayeb  whilst  I 
was  there.  The  Nayeb  told  me  that  he  had  strangled  himself,  but 
he  refused  to  show  to  me  his  body  ;  but  all  the  officers  of  the  Nayeb 
affirmed  that  the  Nayeb  himself  had  caused  him  to  be  murdered. 

The  day  following,  Makhram  Kasem  came  to  have  some  private 
conversation  with  the  Nayeb.  I  retired  a  few  minutes ;  afterward 
the  Nayeb  called  out,  "  Youssuf  Wolff,  come  here."  I  came ;  he 
told  me  ''  Makhram  Kasem  has  just  brought  me  a  piece  of  news,  but 
fear  not,  for  the  King  knows  that  the  intent  of  it  is  to  involve  him  in 
a  war  with  England." 

W.  What  news  ? 

Nayeb.  "  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  has  arrived  here  with  five  requests 
from  Muhammed  Shah.  The  first  request  of  the  King  of  Persia  is, 


OF   DR.    WOLFF  TO   BOKHARA.  247 

that  he  (the  Ameer)  should  put  you  to  death.  The  Haje  Mirza 
Aghasee  wrote  the  same.  Those  Kajar  are  fathers  of  the  curse,  but 
fear  not ;  I  shall  see  the  King  next  Sunday."  I  shut  myself  up  in 
one  of  his  rooms,  and  prayed  ;  and  soon  after,  when  the  Nayeb  went 
to  his  harem,  Behadur,  above  mentioned,  came  to  me,  and  said,  "  I 
am  not  an  Iranee  (Persian),  I  am  a  Hindee.  I  have  eaten  the  salt 
of  Englishmen.  If  you  like,  I  will  let  you  escape,  and  bring  you  to 
Khoollom,  and  thence  go  with  you  to  India,  but  don't  tell  the  Nayeb 
of  it."  We  agreed  that  we  should  leave  that  very  evening,  but  in 
the  evening  I  found  a  Carowal  (guard)  around  my  bed.  I  also  ob- 
served, that  the  Nayeb  had  sent  a  private  message  to  the  King. 

The  morning  following,  a  Makhram,  whom  I  hitherto  had  not  seen, 
came  in  great  agitation,  and  said,  "  You  must  go  to  town,  you  are 
here  tired ;  the  King  orders  you."  As  the  Nayeb  was  up-stairs,  I 
called  out,  "  Nayeb !"  The  rascal  came  down.  The  hue  of  his 
complexion  was  quite  black  ;  I  almost  started  at  the  sight.  I  asked 
him  whether  he  knew  the  King's  order.  He  said,  "  Yes,  and  you 
must  obey."  This  absolute  contradiction  of  his  express  promise  to 
protect  me,  even  from  the  Ameer  himself,  incensed  me  beyond  bounds, 
and  I  said,  "  I  now  see  that  the  people  are  right,  who  say  that  you 
are  the  cause  that  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  have  been 
killed ;  you  are  a  liar,  a  traitor,  and  a  rascal !  you  intend  to  kill  me 
too."  To  this  he  replied,  "  Yes,  I  have  killed  them ;  Stoddart  quar- 
relled with  me  and  my  brother,  who  is  a  Haje,  in  my  garden,  about 
tillahs."  I  then  said,  "  Liar !  why  did  you  always  tell  me  that 
Stoddart  and  Conolly  have  always  been  your  friends  ?"  He  replied, 
"  I  know  how  to  treat  you  Franks  as  you  ought  to  be  treated."  The 
Makhram  again  said  that  I  must  go  with  him.  I  said,  "  No ;"  and 
saying  this,  I  ran  out  of  the  garden  over  a  low  part  of  the  wall,  when 
Behadur  followed  me,  and  said,  "  Now  I  will  let  you  escape." 

He  brought  me,  first  of  all,  to  the  garden  belonging  to  the  Nayeb's 
son,  Abdullah,  which  garden  is  not  yet  quite  finished,  where,  on  a 
former  occasion,  the  Nayeb  told  me  that  he  intended  to  construct  a 
fortress  to  defend  himself  in  case  of  need  against  the  Ameer ;  when, 
quite  against  all  expectation,  Ameer  Abool  Kasem  was  brought  to  me 
by  the  Nayeb's  order.  He  informed  me  that  he  was  the  intended 
Ambassador  for  England.  [Note.  I  have  forgotten  to  mention  above, 
that  the  Nayeb  advised  me,  when  an  Ambassador  was  first  proposed, 
and  the  proposal  accepted,  that  I  should  administer  poison  to  him  on 
the  road,  which  of  course  I  rejected  with  horror.]  I  said  to  Ameer 
Abool  Kasem,  "  I  know  that  the  Ameer  intends  to  kill  me  ;"  and  as 
I  had  a  little  paper  and  ink  with  me,  I  wrote  a  note  to  the  Nayeb, 


248  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

saying,  "  Now  I  know  that  you  are  a  traitor  and  a  liar  !  and  thai  you 
will  kill  me  as  you  have  killed  Stoddart  and  Conolly  ;"  and  I  gave 
the  note  to  Ameer  Abool  Kasem,  who  gave  it  to  the  Nayeb. 

Behadur  then  brought  me,  through  a  water-hole,  to  the  house  of 
the  Yawer  (major),  situated  about  three  hundred  feet  distance  from 
the  Nayeb's  house,  whence  Behadur  and  the  Yawer  promised  to  let  me 
escape  that  very  evening.  The  evening  approached,  when  the  Yawer 
came  and  said  that  the  Ameer,  under  the  supposition  that  I  had  es- 
caped, had  sent  soldiers  on  all  the  different  roads  to  pursue  me ;  it  would 
be  therefore  better  for  me  to  stay  there  until  the  troops  of  the  Ameer 
had  come  back,  and  after  they  had  given  up  pursuing  me.  He  (the 
Yawer)  and  Behadur  would  accompany  me  to  Shahr  Sabz,  Khoollom, 
and  even  as  far  as  India.  I  told  them  that  I  was  convinced  that  the 
Nayeb  was  a  traitor  and  a  liar,  in  whose  words  in  future  I  should 
place  no  reliance,  and  that  I  expected  my  fate  with  patience  and  res- 
ignation. 

Both  Behadur  and  the  Yawer  went  out  of  the  room,  when  a  female, 
in  the  most  coquettish  manner,  and  unveiled,  entered  it.  I  at  once  ob- 
served the  trap,  and  exclaimed,  in  a  loud  voice,  and  with  great  ap- 
parent rage,  "  Go  to  hell !"  The  Yawer  and  Behadur  immediately 
entered,  and  asked  what  was  the  matter  ?  I  explained  the  whole.  It 
was  the  same  trick  which  the  rascally  Nayeb  tried  to  play  to  Stoddart 
and  Conolly,  for  I  heard  from  different  people  that  the  same  stratagem 
had  been  practised  on  them,  with  a  view  to  forcing  them  to  become 
Muhammedans,  but  in  vain.  To  this  he  compels  every  slave  he  takes, 
in  order  to  sell  the  issue  from  them  as  slaves. 

I  slept  at  night  in  the  house  of  the  Yawer,  Behadur  and  Hussein 
Ali,  both  servants  of  the  Nayeb,  near  me,  and  when  I  told  them  that 
they  should  sleep  at  a  greater  distance  from  me,  they  objected  that  the 
Nayeb  had  ordered  them  to  do  so,  but  I  pushed  them  away  by  force. 

The  next  morning,  one  of  the  King's  head  officers  came  and  ordered 
me,  in  the  name  of  the  King,  to  go  to  town,  and  that  I  should  instantly 
receive  leave  for  my  departure.  I  obeyed  ;  but  previous  to  this  I  was 
brought  to  the  Nayeb,  where  the  rascal  told  me  that  he  had  given 
twenty  tillahs  to  the  head  officer,  that  he  should  treat  me  with  respect, 
and  that  I  should  get  leave  to  depart  after  twenty  days. 

I  left  the  horrid  garden  of  that  bloodhound,  and  rode  to  the  town. 
It  was  on  a  Friday.  I  was  first  ordered  to  make  my  Salaam  to  the 
King ;  but  was  not  brought  as  usual  previously  to  a  decent  room  of 
the  palace,  but  was  obliged  to  wait  outside  the  gate  until  the  Ameer 
appeared,  which  he  soon  did.  He  looked  sternly  at  me,  and  evidently 
displeased.  I  was  then  ordered  by  His  Majesty  to  accompany  the 


NAYEB     OF    THE    AMEER    OF    BOKHARA1 


Harper    <5c  .Brothers  ,   ITerw  Tbrlc 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  24d 

Makhram,  and  two  other  guards,  to  my  old  quarters  in  the  Toora  Khane, 
where  now,  also,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  was  residing,  and  that  I  should 
not  stir  out  of  the  house  without  especial  order  from  His  Majesty.  I 
came  to  the  Toora  Khane,  and  occupied  the  same  room  which  Colonel 
Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  had  previous  to  their  execution. 

I  called  on  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  who,  fortunately,  lived  in  the  same 
house,  so  that  he  did  not  come  under  the  prohibition,  I  considered,  at 
least  I  was  determined  not  to  understand  the  order  in  that  sense.  He 
immediately  told  me,  "  I  swear  to  you,  by  God  and  the  Koran,  that  I 
will  not  leave  Bokhara  without  you."  I  told  him  that  Nayeb  Abdul 
Samut  Khan  had  told  me  that  he  had  been  ordered  by  Muhammed 
Shah  to  effect  my  detention  and  death  at  Bokhara.  He  in  a  most  dig- 
nified  manner  denied  the  charge,  and  produced  his  instruction  from 
Haje  Mirza  Agasee,  Prime  Minister  to  the -King  of  Persia,  in  which 
he  was  distinctly  ordered  to  effect  my  release  from  Bokhara. 

Towards  the  evening,  the  Ameer  sent  to  me  the  following  message : 
"  There  were  people  at  Bokhara  from  Khokand  and  Organtsh,  whose 
inhabitants  were  guilty  of  blood ;  and  beside  them,  people  from  Cabul, 
Cashmeer,  and  Hindustaun.  None  of  them  had  been  molested  by 
him.  All  of  them  enjoyed  his  protection.  He  (His  Majesty)  there- 
fore  felt  greatly  incensed  that  I  had  openly  declared  at  Bokhara  that 
His  Majesty's  intention  was  to  put  me  to  death ;  that  His  Majesty 
had  been  red  in  his  face  from  anger.  He  therefore  now  asked  me 
whether  I  would  leave  Bokhara  without  honour  and  in  disgrace,  or 
with  honour  and  filled  with  favour.  In  the  first  case,  His  Majesty 
would  furnish  me  with  a  simple  passport ;  in  the  second  case,  he 
would,  after  his  return  from  Samarcand,  adorn  me  with  a  robe  of 
honour,  and  send  an  Ambassador  with  me  to  England." 

I  sent  as  an  answer  that  I  repented  having  given  cause  to  His  Maj- 
esty to  be  angry  with  me ;  and  with  respect  to  the  mode  of  my  going 
from  Bokhara,  I  left  that'entirely  to  His  Majesty's  choice. 

The  next  day  he  set  out  for  Samarcand  with  the  intention  of  recon- 
quering Khokand  and  Tashkand. 

32 


250  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Jews  obtain  leave  from  the  Ameer  to  visit  Dr.  Wolff;  they  sing  with  him,  and  ask 
for  the  Names  of  illustrious  Jews  who  had  embraced  Christianity ;  he  tells  them 
of  several,  viz.,  Emanuel  Veith,  M.D.,  Dr.  Mayers,  Dr.  August  Neander,  Dr.  Rat- 
isbon,  Isaac  da  Costa,  Dr.  Kabbadose,  Madame  Dorothea  Schlegel.  Muhammed 
Bakher  Nakash,  the  Servant  of  Conolly,  abjures  Islam,  and  says  the  Christians  are 
better  Men  than  the  Muhammedans ;  he  is  brought  before  the  Sheikh  Islam ;  per- 
sists in  his  Avowal ;  is  sent  to  Prison,  and  flogged.  Ameer  returns ;  sends  to  Dr. 
Wolff  a  Mullah,  to  know  whether  he  will  embrace  the  Muhammedan  Religion ; 
Dr.  Wolff  replies,  Never.  Executioner  sent  also.  Letter  from  the  Shah ;  Haje 
Ibrahim,  the  Brother  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  informs  the  Nayeb  of  the  Letter, 
and  urges  him  to  prevent  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  from  receiving  it.  Muhammed  Bak- 
her saved  by  Dr.  Wolff.  Atrocities  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  ;  gets  a  Turkomaun 
beheaded,  who  came  to  save  Stoddart;  also  Ephraim,  a  Jew,  from  Meshed. 
Prisoners  in  his  Garden ;  their  Moanings  and  Wailings.  Impression  throughout 
the  Muhammedan  Countries  that  England  and  Russia  will  seize  all  those  Regions. 
Remark  to  Dr.  Wolff.  Affghauns  praise  the  English.  Habeeb,  weeping,  tells 
Dr  Wolff  that  he  is  to  die.  Servants  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  announce  his  Death, 
and  show  a  Letter  from  Abdul  Samut  Khan  to  that  effect.  Dr.  Wolff  makes  up 
his  mind  to  die,  and  writes  hi  his  Bible  a  Farewell  to  his  Family. 

PREVIOUS  to  the  departure  of  the  Ameer  for  Khokand,  the  Jews 
most  kindly  asked  his  leave  to  visit  me  ;  which  was  granted.  They 
called  on  me,  and  desired  me  to  sing  a  Hebrew  melody,  for  they  said, 
"  Your  voice  is  sonorous  and  sweet."  I  sang  in  a  plaintive  strain  : 
"  By  the  waters  of  Babylon  we  sate  down  and  wept,  for  we  remem- 
bered Zion,"  &c. 

After  this,  we  sang  the  Hymn  of  the  Jews  in  Turkistaun  : 

The  King  our  Messiah  shall  come. 

The  Mighty  of  the  Mighty  is  He. 

The  King,  the  King,  the  King  our  Messiah  shall  come. 

The  Blessed  of  the  Blessed  is  He. 

The  King,  the  King,  our  Messiah. 

The  Great  One  of  the  Great  is  He. 

The  Jews  here  asked  me  whether  there  were  any  Jews  of  distinc- 
tion in  our  days  who  had  embraced  Christianity.  I  replied,  "  Seve- 
ral;"  and  they  wished  to  have  their  names,  which  they  wrote  down* 
I  gave  them  the  following : 

1st  Emanuel  Veith,  M.D.,  now  Domprediger  of  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Stephen'* 
at  Vienna. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO  BOKHARA.  251 

2nd.  Dr.  Mayers,  Professor  of  Jurisprudence  at  Tubingen. 

3rd.  Dr.  August  Neander,  at  Berlin. 

4th.  Rev.  Dr.  Ratisbon,  in  France. 

5th.  Isaac  da  Costa,  in  Amsterdam. 

6th.  Dr.  Kabbadose,  in  Amsterdam. 

7th.  Madame  Dorothea  Schlegel. 

I  gave  them  the  following  histo jy  of  them : 

"  Emanuel  Veith  was  born  in  the  year  1788,  at  Klattau,  in  Bohe- 
mia, and  studied  regularly  at  the  university  of  Prague  ;  after  this  at 
Vienna.  He  distinguished  himself  so  much  in  medicine,  and  especial- 
ly in  the  veterinary  department  and  natural  history,  that  he  received 
the  office  of  Professor  of  Medicine  and  Natural  History,  and  Director 
of  the  Veterinary  Hospital  at  Vienna,  when  only  twenty-four  years 
of  age.  He  was  the  most  popular  physician  at  Vienna,  not  only  on 
account  of  his  success,  but  also  by  reason  of  his  benevolence  and 
philanthropy :  when  suddenly  he  began  to  read  the  Bible,  and  the 
writings  of  Saint  Augustin  and  Jerome.  He  studied  theology,  and  is 
now  the  greatest  divine  and  preacher  at  Vienna.  His  Sermons  on 
the  Resurrection  of  Lazarus  ;  his  Exposition  of  the  Lord's  Prayer ; 
his  Journeys  to  the  Holy  Mountains  ;  his  Religious  Tales ;  are  con- 
sidered masterpieces  in  the  German  literature. 

"  Dr.  Mayers  was  born  in  the  year  1798,  in  Germany,  and  distin- 
guished himself  for  his  knowledge  of  the  Talmud  at  the  early  age  of 
seven.  He  was  born  at  Freudenthal,  near  Stuttgart,  in  Wirtemburg. 
He  entered  the  Gymnasium  of  Stuttgart,  and  previous  to  entering 
the  University  of  Tubingen  he  made  a  speech  in  Greek  that  aston- 
ished the  learned.  He  is  now  a  pious  Christian,  and  a  celebrated 
professor. 

"  Dr.  August  Neander  is  also  of  Jewish  parents,  though  Neologistic 
in  views.  He  is  evidently  a  sincere  and  pious  inquirer  after  truth. 
He  is  Professor  of  Theology  at  Berlin.  His  Apostolical  and  Ecclesi- 
astical History  are  the  productions  of  a  mind  deeply  imbued  with  spir- 
itual religion. 

"  Ratisbon  is  a  Roman  Catholic  priest,  whose  Life  of  St.  Bernard 
has  excited  the  greatest  sensation  in  France. 

"  Isaac  da  Costa  springs  from  those  Jews  who  were  what  are  called 
t  The  Compelled,'  '  Anusim,'  in  Spain,  and  is  grand  nephew  to  the 
famous  Uriel  da  Costa,  Canon  of  Barcelona,  who  when  he  had  left 
Spain  and  reached  Amsterdam,  returned  to  Judaism,  which  he  em- 
braced, and  all  his  family,  and  after  this  committed  suicide.  Isaao 
da  Costa  was  educated  as  a  Jew  at  Amsterdam,  but  studied  the  law 
at  Leyden,  and  was  converted,  through  the  instrumentality  of  BUder- 


252  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

dyk,  to  the  Christian  religion ;  and  he  was  instrumental  to  the  con- 
version  of  his  mother  and  family  to  that  faith  ;  and  also  of  Dr.  Kab- 
badose,  in  the  same  manner  as  Uriel  da  Costa  had  converted  his 
family  to  the  Jewish  belief.  Da  Costa  is  a  celebrated  writer,  and  a 
devoted  admirer  of  the  spirit  of  the  Middle  Age,  but  a  high  Calvinist 
in  his  views ;  a  man  of  powerful  eloquence,  and  a  poet. 

"  Dr.  Kabbadose,  the  convert  of  -Da  Costa,  spends  his  days  in  acts 
of  benevolence.  I  must  here  observe,  that  it  must  be  confessed  that 
only  those  Jews  that  have  had  a  thorough  education  have  approved 
themselves  to  be  sincere  Christians ;  and  it  seems,  therefore,  highly 
desirable  that  the  colleges  in  England  should  be  open  to  the  Jews. 

"  Madame  Dorothea  Schlegel  was  the  daughter  of  the  most  cele- 
brated philosopher  of  the  Jewish  nation,  Moses  Mendelsohn.  She 
married  Veith,  a  Jewish  banker  at  Berlin.  When  Friederich  Schle- 
gel wrote  his  celebrated  book,  Lucinde,  Madame  Veith  replied  to  it  in 
a  book  called  Florentine.  She  had  two  sons  of  Veith,  but  was  after* 
wards  separated  from  Veith,  and  married  Schlegel.  Both  of  them, 
Schlegel  and  herself,  became  Roman  Catholics  at  Cologne;  when 
Schlegel  became  a  mighty  defender  of  the  Middle  Age,  and  his  wife 
a  great  admirer  of  the  Spanish  literature.  She  translated  several 
things  from  Spanish  into  German ;  without  pretending  to  be  a  preach- 
er, she  converted,  through  her  conversation,  many  Neologists  to  the 
Christian  religion.  Her  two  sons,  Johannes  Veith  and  Philip  Veith, 
also,  were  baptized  by  Cardinal  Severoli,  the  Pope's  Nuncio  at  Vien- 
na. Both  Johannes  Veith  and  Philip  Veith  are  celebrated  painters 
in  Germany.  I  knew  them  at  Rome,  where  they  enjoyed  the  highest 
esteem  among  both  Roman  Catholics  and  Protestants  for  their  talents, 
genius,  industry,  and  piety. 

"  I  must  not  omit  to  record,  also,  of  Philip  Veith,  that  in  the  war  of 
Germany  against  Napoleon,  he  and  Theodor  Korner,  the  well  known 
poet,  entered  as  volunteers  among  the  Prussians.  He  fought  by  the 
side  of  the  chivalric  La  Motte  Fouque,  in  the  battle  of  Leipzic.  When 
a  Prussian  corps  was  yielding,  Philip  Veith  called  out,  "  Forward, 
comrades,"  cheered  them  to  action,  and  conducted  himself  with  such 
gallantry  and  heroism,  that  Bliicher  made  him  an  officer  on  the  battle 
plain." 

At  this  time  Muhammed  Bakher  Nakash,  i.  e.  the  Painter,  formerly 
in  the  service  of  Conolly,  loudly  exclaimed  in  a  bath,  "  The  Frankee 
are  by  far  better  than  the  Mussulmauns.  Muhammed  was  no  prophet. 
He  was  a  cruel  tyrant,  and  thus  are  all  his  followers.  There  is  one 
God,  but  no  prophet  does  exist."  He  was  brought  before  the  Sheikh 
Islam,  and  questioned  about  his  public  declaration. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  253 

Sheikh  al-Islam  (to  Muhammed  Bakher).  Is  it  true  that  you  have 
made  such  a  declaration  ? 

Muhammed  Bakher.  Yes  !  I  have  loudly  proclaimed  that  there  is 
no  Prophet. 

Sh.  Do  you  believe,  perhaps,  that  Jesus  is  a  prophet  ? 

M.  B.  No. 

Sh.  Mullah  Youssuf  Wolff  does  not  agree  with  you,  for  he  be- 
lieves  that  Jesus  is  not  only  a  prophet,  but  he  calls  him  also  the  Son 
of  God. 

M.  B.  I  believe  no  prophet ;  but  Jesus  was  a  better  man  than 
Muhammed,  and  the  followers  of  Jesus  are  better  than  the  followers 
of  Muhammed. 

Muhammed  Bakher  was  then  sent  to  prison  and  flogged,  but  with- 
out any  use.  The  mullahs  then  sent  off  an  express  courier  to  the 
Ameer,  who  was  at  that  time  at  Samarcand ;  but  he  ordered  them 
not  to  put  him  to  death  until  he  came  back.  On  the  return  of  the 
Ameer,  he  sent,  as  my  readers  will  see  in  the  next  chapter,  a  mullah 
to  me,  to  know  whether  I  would  become  a  Muhammedan ;  and  an 
executioner  to  threaten  me  with  death. 

But  the  letter  of  the  King  of  Persia  had  arrived,  which  was  written 
and  sent  at  the  request  of  Colonel  Sheil,  to  the  care  of  the  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla  at  Meshed,  who  delivered  it  to  my  friend  Mullah  Mehdee,  who 
with  the  greatest  secrecy  delivered  it  into  the  hands  of  a  Turkomaun 
for  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  at  Bokhara.  Most  providential  it  was  that 
Haje  Ibrahim,  brother  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  was  not  at  Meshed  at 
the  time,  for  on  his  return  to  Meshed  he  learned  that  Mullah  Mehdee 
had  sent  off  a  letter  from  the  Shah  to  the  Ameer.  He  in  a  rage  ran 
to  Mullah  Mehdee,  and  said  to  him,  "  Why  did  you  send  away  the 
letter  from  the  King  of  Persia  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  ?  and  why- 
did  you  not  give  the  letter  to  me,  when  I  would  have  forwarded  the 
letter  to  my  brother,  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  who  would  have  delivered 
it  himself  to  the  King  ?"  Now  that  this  fact  is  true  is  clear,  for  Be- 
hadur,  Abdul  Samut  Khan's  servant  above  mentioned,  told  me  that  he 
had  seen  a  letter  from  Haje  Ibrahim,  in  which  Haje  Ibrahim  wrote 
to  Abdul  Samut  Khan  by  an  express  messenger  the  following  words: 
"  That  cursed  Jew,  Mullah  Mehdee,  has  sent  off  a  letter  from  the 
Shah  to  the  Ameer,  to  be  delivered  by  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  I  was 
not  at  Meshed  at  the  time,  and  therefore  could  not  intercept  the  letter. 
Do  all  you  can,  dear  brother,  to  prevent  the  letter  coming  into  the 
hands  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  for  if  it  reach  him  you  will  not  succeed 
in  keeping  the  Frankee,  and  on  his  arrival  in  England  he  will  con- 
found  us  all." 


254  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

That  this  statement  of  Behadur  is  true,  is  certain  from  the  follow, 
ing  circumstance:  that  on  my  arrival  at  Meshed,  Mullah  Mehdee 
himself  told  me  the  instant  he  saw  me  that  Haje  Ibrahim  was  absent 
from  Meshed  at  the  time,  and  was  highly  incensed  with  him  for  send- 
ing  off  the  letter.  This  letter  also  deterred  the  King  from  doing  any- 
thing to  Muhammed  Bakher,  as  he  was  the  servant  to  Conolly,  and 
gave  me  liberty  from  captivity,  and  the  King  observed  at  the  same 
time :  "  No  harm  must  be  done  to  Muhammed  Bakher,  for  Joseph 
Wolff  is  more  than  a  mere  derveesh." 

I  must  now  give,  in  addition  to  the  above,  a  few  more  examples  of 
the  atrocities  committed  by  that  villain,  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  testified 
to  me  by  that  respectable  person  Khoja  Saheb  of  Cashmeer,  and 
others.  A  Turkomaun  came  to  Bokhara  for  the  purpose  of  saving 
Stoddart.  Abdul  Samut  Khan  was  informed  of  it,  and  he  immedi- 
ately gave  notice  of  the  attempt  to  the  Ameer,  who  instantly  ordered 
the  Turkomaun 's  head  to  be  struck  off. 

Ephraim,  a  Jew  from  Meshed,  also  arrived  to  assist  Stoddart,  when 
that  villain  also  informed  the  King  of  it,  and  the  poor  Jew  was  also 
beheaded.  Whenever  I  was  in  the  garden  of  that  villain,  he  brought 
me  on  purpose  near  the  place  where  he  had  his  prisoners,  and  I  heard 
the  moanings  and  waitings  of  those  who  sighed  in  prison.  He,  well 
pleased  with  himself,  said  to  me :  "  Youssuf  Wolff,  do  you  observe 
what  power  I  have  ?  The  Ameer  inflicts  upon  criminals  only  seventy- 
five  stripes  ;  but  I  two  thousand  stripes." 

There  is  the  impression,  from  the  Dardanelles  to  the  Oxus,  and 
from  thence  to  the  utmost  boundaries  of  Tibet,  that  England  and 
Russia  shall  be  the  conquerors  of  the  world,  and  the  people  are  not 
dissatisfied  with  it,  but,  on  the  contrary,  wish  that  that  event  may  soon 
take  place. 

One  of  the  people  of  Bokhara  paid  a  visit  to  Dil  Assa  Khan  ;  on  his 
leaving  him  he  saw  me  walking  about,  near  my  room.  He  looked 
at  me  and  said :  "  This  Englishman  in  his  mullah's  dress  is  only  the 
forerunner  of  great  events  ;  not  without  reason  has  he  appeared  here 
with  the  Books  of  the  Christians  open,  placed  at  his  heart ;  this  is  a 
sign  that  very  soon  the  Christian  Powers  shall  set  at  defiance  the 
whole  of  Islam,  and  Jesus  shall  be  King  over  all  the  world  for  the 
space  of  forty  years,  and  Dujaal  (Antichrist)  shall  come." 

An  Affghaun  sat  dawn  in  the  evening  near  my  room,  and  said  :  "  I 
am  well  acquainted  with  the  mode  of  Government  in  India ;  every 
Englishman  in  India  is  a  king,  and  therefore  they  will  not  be  satisfied 
with  Hindustaun  alone,  but  their  rule  will  be  spread  all  over  China ; 
and  Russia  will  soon  be  in  possession  of  the  city  of  Turkistaun,  Kho- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA.  255 

kand,  and  Organtsh  ;"  and  by  a  hint  directed  towards  me,  he  indi- 
cated also  the  kingdom  of  Bokhara. 

Another  said,  "  I  always  told  the  people  of  Affghanistaun,  '  Do  not 
rise  against  the  English  people,  for  the  English  people  have  wings, 
and  if  you  drive  them  out  now,  they  will  soon  come  again.' " 

Another  observed  :  "  Russia  and  England  are  two  great  rival 
powers.  A  certain  Vicovich  was  sent  from  Russia  to  Dost  Muham- 
med  Khan,  but  he  soon  was  recalled,  and  he  died  by  suicide." 

Habeeb,  one  of  the  guards  who  watched  me,  came  one  day  weep- 
ing in  my  room,  and  said  :  "  Curses,  thousand  curses  to  Abdul  Samut 
Khan  ;  he  has  at  last  succeeded  in  inducing  the  King  to  send  an  order 
here  to  put  you  to  death  immediately  on  his  return."  Scarcely  had 
lie  done,  when  servants  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  entered  my  room  and 
showed  to  me  actually  a  letter  from  Abdul  Samut  Khan  to  one  of  his 
officers,  writing  to  him  :  "  Hasrat"  (His  Majesty)  "  has  at  last  decided 
to  put  to  death  the  Englishman,  and  nothing  will  save  the  man  !  Let 
him  go  to  the  devil ;  what  business  had  he  to  come  to  Bokhara  ?"  1 
looked  at  the  seal,  and  it  was  the  seal  of  Abdul  Samut ;  I  wrote 
therefore  in  my  Bible  these  words  : 

My  dearest  Georgiana  and  Henry, 

I  have  loved  both  of  you  unto  death. 

Your  affectionate  husband  and  father, 

JOSEPH  Wounr. 


-256  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 


CHAPTER  XVIH. 

Colonel  Shell.  Bad  Conduct  of  Dr.  Wolff's  Servants.  Remark  of  Usbecks  on  the 
Treatment  of  Dr.  Wolff.  Questions  put  by  the  Makhrams  by  order  of  the  King 
to  Dr.  Wolff.  Kindness  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  to  Dr.  Wolff;  the  noblest-minded 
Persian  Dr.  Wolff  has  seen  ;  sends  Dr.  Wolff  Food  from  his  own  Table  ;  places 
a  Servant  with  Dr.  Wolff  for  his  personal  Safety  ;  sends  his  Physician  to  Dr. 
Wolff  to  treat  him  for  the  Rishta.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  Dr.  Wolff  read 
together.  Various  Reports  of  the  Ameer's  Proceedings.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's 
Religious  Opinions.  Conversation  with  People  of  Samarcand ;  they  tell  Dr. 
Wolff  of  Gold  Mines  and  Turquoises  near  Samarcand ;  of  Ghengis  Khan  and 
Tamerlane.  Letter  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  to  Lady  Georgiana.  Nayeb  sends  two 
thousand  tillahs  to  Dr.  Wolff  The  Letter  of  Lord  Ellenborough  reported  to  be 
at  Balkh ;  arrives  in  forty  days  ;  Seal  broken.  Abdul  Samut  Khan  leaves 

.  Bokhara  for  Samarcand ;  his  Message  to  Dr.  Wolff.  Vile  Conduct  of  Abdullah  ; 
tries  to  rob  Dr.  Wolff.  Dr.  Wolff  wishes  the  Jews  to  take  charge  of  Abdul 
Samut  Khan's  Money  ;  they  decline  it,  on  the  ground  th  at  Abdul  Samut  Khan 
would  take  it  from  them,  and  make  them  pay  for  it.  Letters  arrive  at  Bokhara 
from  the  Brother  of  Conolly  ;  Dr.  Wolff  opens  them.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's  con- 
tinued  Kindness  to  Dr.  Wolff.  The  Jews  visit  Dr.  Wolff;  their  curious  method 
of  Conversation.  Dr.  Wolff  writes  to  the  "  Sovereigns  of  Europe."  A  second 
Letter,  with  strict  Instructions  about  Dr.  Wolff's  Safety,  arrives  from  the  Shah. 
Letter  to  Captain  Grover.  Return  of  the  Ameer  and  Abdul  Samut  Khan  to 
Bokhara.  King  reads  Lord  Ellenborough's  Letter ;  determines  in  his  own  mind, 
Abdul  Samut  Khan  says,  to  kill  Dr.  Wolff.  Others  say  that  Abdul  Samut  Khan 
advised  him  to  do  so.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  and  Dr.  Wolff,  visit 
the  Ameer ;  he  does  not  look  on  Dr.  Wolff.  Letter  to  Lady  Georgiana  and  his 
Son.  All  Letters  sent  open  by  Dr.  Wolff.  Mullah  sent  to  Dr.  Wolff  to  know  if 
he  would  embrace  Muhammedanism ;  he  replies,  Never.  Executioner  visits  him. 
Dr.  Wolff  prepares  for  Death.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  intimates  to  the  Ameer  that 
he  has  a  Letter  to  deliver  from  the  Shah.  The  Ameer  receives  it,  and  gives  Dr. 
Wolff  up  to  him. 

IT  seems  to  me  that  both  Colonel  Shell  and  the  Foreign  Office  at 
home,  have  been  deceived  in  the  character  of  that  bloodhound,  Abdul 
Samut  Khan,  and  though  I  am  sorry  to  say  anything  to  the  dispar- 
agement of  Colonel  Sheil,  on  account  of  the  hospitality  shown  to  me, 
and  the  prompt  assistance  he  gave  to  me,  by  forwarding  the  letter 
of  the  King  of  Persia  to  Bokhara,  yet  I  must  say  that  it  appeared  to 
me  that  Colonel  Sheil  seemed  to  be  unwilling  to  be  undeceived  re- 
specting the  real  character  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  ;  though  my  de- 
scription of  the  character  of  that  infamous  villain  was  confirmed  by 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  and  is  further  confirmed  by  every  Persian  who 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA. 


257 


has  been  at  Bokhara,  and  I  perceive  the  infamy  of  that  miscreant  is 
well  known  to  Monsieur  de  Bode  and  to  Sir  Claude  Martin  Wade. 

On  another  day,  my  servant  Abdullah  entered  my  room  in  a  furi- 
ous way,  and  said :  "  Now  they  are  going  to  kill  you,  and  what  shall 
I  do  here  ?  I  have  no  money  for  going  back.  Give  me  a  letter  to 
the  Ambassador  of  your  nation  at  Teheraun  to  make  me  a  present 
of  two  thousand  tillahs ;  if  not,  I  will  kill  you  now.  If  you  do  so  be- 
fore the  Ameer  sends  this  order,  I  will  get  some  Khoja  (saint)  to  speak 
in  your  behalf."  I  took  a  stick  and  gave  him  such  a  beating  as  I 
never  gave  to  any  one  ;  and  I  turned  him  out  of  the  room,  and  out  of 
my  service ;  but  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  besought  me  to  keep  him  again, 
as  it  would  not  be  safe  at  Bokhara  to  suffer  him  to  run  about  and  ex- 
cite, perhaps,  the  populace  against  me.  So  I  took  him  again,  which 
made  him  only  more  impertinent ;  and  the  villain  Abdul  Samut  Khan 
encouraged  him  in  it,  and  sent  me  word  that  I  should  give  him  a  sum 
of  money,  in  order  that  he  might  not  play  the  Haramzadeh,  i.  e.  the 
traitor.  However,  I  must  not  go  into  details  of  what  I  suffered  at 
Bokhara  by  that  villain  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  and  my  servant  Abdul- 
lah. I  only  can  say  that  I  frequently  wished  that  the  King  of  Bok- 
hara would  not  delay  my  execution,  in  order  to  have  peace  for  ever ; 
and  I  must  say,  that  it  was  an  inconsiderate  act  of  Colonel  Sheil  to 
send  to  me  a  demand  for  money  from  that  viJJain  from  Bokhara  to 
England  ;  for  by  the  items,  he  (Colonel  SheiJ)  ought  to  have  seen  that 
the  promise  was  extorted  from  a  poor  prisoner  who  had  death  before 
his  eyes. 

I  was  very  ill  one  morning; — on  awaking  from  sleep,  Abdullah 
screamed :  "  I  have  committed  a  great  error  by  coming  to  Bokhara 
with  an  infidel."  I  said  :  "Do  you  not  perceive  that  I  am  very  un- 
well ?"  Abdullah,  in  a  most  malicious  manner,  replied  :  "  Then  be 
well.  All  the  same  to  me." 

Usbecks  from  Bokhara  who  were  present,  and  the  guards  of  the 
King  observed.  *'  They  try  to  kill  this  poor  Englishman  by  annoying 
him  ;"  and  another  observed,  "  It  is  all  at  the  advice  of  that  villain 
Abdul  Sarfiut  Khan,  who  wishes  to  bring  our  Ameer  into  difficulties 
with  the  English,  and  the  villain  would  like  to  see  Bokhara  destroyed, 
and  he  himself  gain  by  it." 

On  another  day  I  got  a  message  from  the  King.  His  Majesty  wished 
to  know  whether  the  English  people  could  make  a  bridge  over  the  Oxus  ? 
I  replied,  "  Yes,  with  very  great  ease."  He  immediately  sent  another 
Makhram  with  the  question,  "  How  many  cannons  have  the  English  ?" 
I  replied,  that  I  never  counted  them ;  but  I  was  sure  that  they  must 
have  several  thousand  pieces  of  artillery.  A  third  Makhram  was 

33 


258  NARRATIVE   OP  THE   MISSION 

sent  the  same  day,  with  the  question,  In  how  many  days  a  caravan  of 
camels  would  arrive  in  England  ?  I  replied,  "  No  caravan  of  camels 
could  proceed  to  England  ;  such  a  thing  is  not  seen  in  England." 

The  kindness  I  experienced  from  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  at  this  trying 
period,  when  so  many  evils  beset  my  path,  and  my  life  was  on  the 
brink  of  destruction,  I  must  ever  remember  with  the  deepest  gratitude, 
though  he  was  by  no  means  without  apprehension  for  his  own  fate,  but 
laboured,  as  all  at  Bokhara  must,  under  terrible  misgivings  of  his  own 
personal  safety.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  was  formerly  Governor  of  Bush- 
ire,  in  the  Persian  Gulf,  and  therefore  acquainted  with  English  people. 
He  was  a  man  of  a  higher  sense  of  honour  than  I  had  ever  met 
among  the  Persians.  When  he  perceived  that  I  could  not  eat  horse- 
flesh, and  tea  with  salt  and  milk,  and  besides  this,  rice  only  half  boiled, 
he  sent  me  daily  a  pilaw  of  his  own  cooked  in  the  Persian  style  ;  and 
as  he  perceived  that  I  was  in  danger  of  being  murdered  by  the  guards 
set  over  me  by  the  King,  or  by  Abdullah  my  servant,  or  Dil  Assa 
Khan,  he  sent  one  of  his  own  servants  to  sleep  in  my  apartment ;  and 
as  he  soon  saw  that  I  had  an  attack  of  the  "  Rishta,"  he  sent  one  of  his 
own  physicians  to  bleed  me. 

I  also  was  enabled  to  go  every  day  to  him,  when  we  read  together 
some  of  the  Persian  works,  as  Scandername,  which  details  the  adven- 
tures of  Alexander,  u.nd  Tabari,  a  book  which  I  afterwards  received 
as  a  present  from  the  King.  I  heard,  also,  in  his  company,  several 
contradictory  reports  from  tiae  camp  of  the  King ;  for  instance,  one 
day  the  news  came  that  the  Ameer  had  arrived  at  the  gates  of  Kho- 
kand,  and  that  the  Cazi,  Mufti,  ar*3  others,  had  come  forth  to  bring 
him  the  keys.  Another  day  that  the  Atneer  had,  out  of  mercy  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Khokand,  retired  with  his  a*my,  but  the  fact  was,  that 
he  was  beaten,  and  had  lost  twelve  Generals  or  Serkerdeha. 

I  also  had  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  many  conversations  on  religion. 
His  belief  was,  that  the  whole  world  would  become  Christians,  and  that 
Christ  would  govern  forty  days  upon  earth.  After  this,  that  Anti- 
christ would  appear,  when  all  the  world  would  become  Mussulmans. 

Whilst  I  was  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  there  came  people  from 
Samarcand,  who  talked  to  me  about  the  Turquoises  and  gold  mines 
which  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  had  near  Samarcand.  They  also  con- 
versed about  Tamerlane,  as  though  he  were  dead  but  yesterday.  I 
heard,  also,  that  Ghengis  Khan  had  a  Jew  from  Germany  as  his  Sec- 
retary. They  preferred  in  general  Tamerlane  to  Ghengis  Khan,  for 
they  say  of  Ghengis  Khan  that  he  knew  how  to  conquer  a  world— 
that  he  was  a  Jehaan-Geer,  a  world-taker ;  but  Tamerlane  was  no 
only  a  Jehaan-Geer,  but  also  a  Jehaan-Dar,  a  world-holder. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  259 

To  instance  the  kindness  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  I  need  small  proof. 
The  following  letter  will  alone  supply  ample  evidence  of  his  kindly 
heart*.  It  is  addressed  to  Lady  Georgiana. 

In  the  Name  of  the  Highest ! . 

I  acquaint  the  exalted  and  virtuous  lady,  my  kind  and  distinguished  sister, 
the  respected  lady  of  the  high  in  rank,  the  distinguished  among  the  learned  persons 
of  the  Christian  Faith,  the  Reverend  Joseph  Wolff,  that  on  my  arrival  at  Bokhara, 
my  distinguished  friend  was  much  grieved  and  his  affairs  were  in  a  confused  state. 
I  brought  him  to  my  own  place  of  residence,  and  I  waited  twice  on  His  Highness 
the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  on  his  account,  and  I  obtained  permission  for  him  to  depart 
agreeably  to  the  commands  of  His  Majesty,  my  Sovereign,  on  whom  the  regard  of 
the  universe  is  fixed, — may  the  whole  world  be  his  sacrifice, — and  agreeably  to  the 
orders  of  His  Excellency,  &c.  &c.,  my  Lord  the  Haje,  (Prime  Minister  of  Persia,) 
— may  his  great  shadow  be  increased, — that  I  should  bring  him  along  with  me. 
His  Highness  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  having  had  to  undertake  a  two  months'  jour- 
ney against  Khokand,  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  despatch  him  on  his  journey 
until  the  return  of  the  Ameer.  Again,  a  second  Firman  from  His  Majesty  (the 
Shah)  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  arrived,  which  I  caused  to  be  delivered  in  a  suitable 
manner,  and  I  did  all  that  was  incumbent  on  me  in  regard  to  the  friendship  subsist- 
ing between  the  two  powerful  Governments  of  Persia  and  England.  I  obtained 
leave  for  him  to  depart  by  one  means  or  another.  In  eight  days  more,  I  shall  bring 
him  along  with  me  in  safety  and  health.  Rest  assured. 

I  have  no  ends  in  view  or  expectations  in  this.  I  did  it  in  the  service  of  my  own 
Government,  and  on  account  of  the  friendship  subsisting  between  the  two  Govern- 
ments. I  am  the  brother  of  my  distinguished  friend  Joseph  Wolff.  I  am  also  your 
brother,  O  virtuous  Lady,  and  you  are  my  sister.  I  have  written  these  few  words 
at  the  request  of  my  brother,  and  I  present  my  compliments. 

Bokhara,  Sth  Rejjeb,  1260  (23r d  July,  1844). 

Soon  after  the  King's  departure  for  Khokand  the  Nayeb  sent  to  me 
the  two  thousand  tillahs  which  he  had  made  me  promise  to  take  on 
with  me  to  Teheraun,  in  order  to  deliver  to  Colonel  Sheil,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  receiving  twenty  per  cent,  for  the  important  services  he  had 
rendered  to  England ;  and  which  money,  he  gave  me  to  understand, 
was  a  pledge  to  me  that  he  was  in  earnest  to  procure  speedily  my  re- 
lease. The  next  day,  however,  he  sent  again  for  the  money  without 
a  written  order,  and  said  that  Mango,  the  Hindoo  merchant,  might 
give  me  bills  for  them,  or  any  Jewish  merchant  at  Bokhara.  I  sent 
him  word  that  he  should  first  send  me  back  my  note,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  written  order  to  whom  I  should  deliver  the  money  ;  to  which 
the  Nayeb  gave  me  no  reply.  He  then  sent  to  me  Mortesa,  the  Kafila 
Bashi  from  Heraut,  giving  me  to  understand  that  he  (Abdul  Samut 
Khan)  had  kept  Mortesa  on  purpose  here,  in  order  that  he  might  en- 

*  This  letter  was  kindly  translated  into  English  by  Mr.  Thomson  at  Teheraun. 


260  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

able  me  to  escape  concealed  in  a  large  trunk,  in  case  that  the  Ameer 
should  not  give  me  permission  to  depart. 

At  last,  forty  days  after  the  time  at  which  it  was  pretended  that  the 
messenger  was  sent  to  Balkh  for  Lord  Ellenborough's  letter,  the  letter, 
as  they  said,  arrived  from  Balkh,  which  might  have  been  back  easily 
in  six  days  from  the  time  the  alleged  messenger  went  to  Balkh.  Ab- 
dul Samut  Khan  sent  the  letter  for  my  inspection.  The  seal  was 
broken  in  two,  which  the  Nayeb  said  happened  on  the  road  by  the 
messenger  having  fallen  from  his  horse.  After  the  letter  had  arrived, 
Abdul  Samut  Khan  set  out  for  Samarcand,  to  join  the  King,  accom- 
panied by  two  hundred  disciplined  troops,  and  four  pieces  of  cannon. 
The  day  of  his  departure  he  sent  to  me  Behadur,  his  servant,  telling 
me  that  I  ought  to  give  Abdullah  a  present  of  one  hundred  tillahs,  in 
order  that  he  might  not  commit  Haramzadekee,  i.  e.  rascality  and 
treachery ;  I  gave  him,  however,  only  twenty.  Abdullah  became 
worse  and  worse  every  day,  and  in  the  night  time  I  observed  that  he 
tried  to  rob  me  of  the  money,  in  order,  as  I  was  afterwards  assured 
of  by  trustworthy  people,  to  hand  it  back  to  the  Nayeb,  and  after  this 
to  murder  me,  either  at  Bokhara  by  poison,  or  on  the  road  in  any  way 
he  could  ;  and  he  (Abdul  Samut  Khan)  having  my  note  of  hand  for 
it,  would  then  have  come  upon  the  British  Government  for  the  money, 
so  that  he  would  have  been  twice  paid,  exactly  as  he  did  with  Captain 
Conolly.  For  this  reason,  also,  Mortesa,  the  Kafila  Bashi,  was  de- 
tained at  Bokhara.  I,  in  order  to  rid  myself  of  the  burden,  wished  a 
respectable  Jew  at  Bokhara  to  take  the  money,  and  give  me  a  bill  on 
Meshed ;  but  Meshiakh,  and  Mullah  Simha,  and  Pinehas,  (these  were 
the  names  of  the  Jews  to  whom  I  applied,)  told  me  that  they  were  ac- 
quainted with  Abdul  Samut  Khan's  conduct  towards  Conolly  and 
Stoddart.  Should  that  rascal,  they  said,  find  out  that  I  had  delivered 
the  money  into  the  hands  of  the:  Jews,  he  would  force  them,  after  my 
departure,  to  deliver  the  money  over  to  him :  they  therefore  declined 
accepting  the  money. 

Two  letters,  by  the  hands  of  two  different  people,  arrived  from  the 
brother  of  Conolly,  addressed  to  Conolly,  wishing  to  know  whether  he 
and  Stoddart  were  alive  or  dead.  I  opened  the  letters,  gave  several 
ducats  to  the  bearers,  and  in  order  to  induce  them  to  depart  quickly,  I 
informed  them  that  I  had  told  the  King  that  letters  had  reached  me 
from  India,  which  induced  them  to  start  immediately  for  Balkh  and 
Cabul. 

What  I  suffered  all  the  time  of  the  King's  absence  I  cannot  de- 
scribe. The  good  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  sent  me  victuals  constantly 
from  his  table,  in  order  that  I  might  not  be  poisoned  by  Abdullah. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  261 

In  the  night  time  he  took  possession  of  the  key  of  my  room,  in  order 
that  I  might  not  be  murdered,  and  kept  his  servant  in  my  room  to 
protect  me,  as  I  have  mentioned.  Every  moment  a  spy  from  the 
King  came  to  ask  me  what  I  did.  The  Jews,  however,  had  the  cour- 
age to  come,  and  I  advised  them  to  come  when  the  King's  Makhrams 
were  with  me  ;  when  each  of  us  looked  in  a  Hebrew  Bible,  as  if  we 
were  reading,  and  thus  carried  on  our  conversation  in  Hebrew  in  the 
presence  of  the  Usbecks,  who  all  the  time  believed  that  we  were 
reading  in  the  book  by  turn,  whilst  I  learnt  every  particular  of  the 
conduct  of  the  King  and  the  Nayeb  towards  Stoddart  and  Conolly, 
particulars  of  the  death  of  the  latter,  and  of  the  licentious  and  tyran- 
nical conduct  of  the  King.  Conversations  not  political  we  carried  on 
in  Persian. 

At  this  period  I  wrote  and  sent  from  Bokhara  the  following  letter : 

To  all  the  Monarchs  of  Europe. 
Sires !  Bokhara,  1844 

I  set  out  for  Bokhara  to  ransom  the  lives  of  two  officers,  Colonel  Stoddart 
and  Captain  Conolly ;  but  both  of  them  were  murdered  many  months  previous  to 
my  departure,  and  I  do  not  know  whether  this  blood  of  mine  will  not  be  spilt. 

I  do  not  supplicate  for  my  own  safety;  but,  Monarchs,  two  hundred  thousand 
Persian  slaves,  many  of  them  people  of  high  talent,  sigh  in  the  kingdom  of  Bokhara. 
Endeavour  to  effect  their  liberation,  and  I  shall  rejoice  in  the  grave  that  my  blood 
has  been  thus  the  cause  of  the  ransom  of  so  many  human  beings.  I  am  too  much 
agitated,  and  too  closely  watched,  to  be  able  to  say  more. 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

During  the  absence  of  the  King  a  second  letter  arrived  from  His 
Majesty  the  King  of  Persia  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  at  the  solicitation 
of  Colonel  Sheil,  which  letter  was  delivered  to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan ; 
he  immediately  showed  the  letter  to  me.  His  Majesty  the  King  of 
Persia  had  written  :  "  The  greatest  friendship  subsists  between  Eng- 
land and  Persia ;  and  therefore,  if  you  do  not  send  back  Joseph 
Wolff  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  I  shall  become  enraged  with  you." 

.  At  this  period  also  I  wrote  the  following  letter  to  Captain  Grover  : 

Dear  Friend !  Bokhara,  June,  1844. 

I  have  now  been  already  two  months  in  this  place,  and  though  five  or  six 
tunes  the  King  has  promised  to  send  me  instantly  to  England,  with  one  of  his  own 
ambassadors,  I  am  hi  the  greatest  danger.  I  cannot  stir  out  of  the  house  without  a 
guard  of  three  men. 

Dil  Assa  Khan,  the  fellow  sent  with  me  by  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  has  shamefully 
robbed,  deceived,  and  outraged  me.  The  Persian  ambassador,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan, 
is  kind  to  me,  but  I  think  he  will  not  have  it  in  his  power  to  rescue  me.  The  Nayeb, 
Abdul  Samut  Khan,  has  extorted  from  me  a  writing  to  pay  him  five  thousand 
tomauns  to  effect  my  liberation.  I  suspect  that  he  was  the  cause  of  Stoddart  and 
Conolly's  death,  in  spite  ef  his  continued  protestations  of  friendship. 


262  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

Pray  console  my  dear  wife  and  child  as  much  as  you  can.  I  love  them  dearly. 
The  Ameer  is  now  at  Samarcand,  and  I  am  here  waiting  the  most  fatal  orders 
from  the  King  daily  to  reach  me.  It  is  true  that  poor  Stoddart  openly  professed 
Christianity  after  he  had  made  a  forced  profession  of  Muhammedanism.  Do  for 
me  what  you  can,  as  far  as  the  honour  of  England  is  not  compromised.  All  the 
inhabitants  wish  that  either  Russia  or  England  should  take  the  country. 

Yours  affectionately, 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

P.S.  Do  not  believe  any  reports  of  my  speedy  departure,  for  I  am  in  great 
danger. 

Forty  or  fifty  days  (for  I  lost  all  certainty  of  date)  after  the  King's 
departure,  the  King  and  Abdul  Samut  Khan  returned  to  Bokhara. 
My  servant  Abdullah,  immediately,  without  asking  leave  of  me,  ran 
to  the  Nayeb,  who  sent  me  word  by  him,  as  also  by  Mirza  Abdul 
Wehab,  that  the  King  had  said,  after  he  had  perused  Lord  Ellen- 
borough's  letter  :  "  Now  it  is  proper  that  I  should  kill  Joseph  Wolff." 
But  I  was  informed  by  others  who  were  present  when  the  King  had 
read  the  letter,  that  the  Nayeb  said  to  the  King,  "  Now  it  is  proper 
that  Your  Majesty  should  kill  Joseph  Wolff,  as  the  Governor- General 
tries  to  frighten  Your  Majesty."  A  fortnight  before  the  King's  arri- 
val, Abdul  Samut  Khan  had  written  to  me  from  the  camp,  that  His 
Majesty  had  been  well  pleased  with  the  letter,  and  had  said  that  he 
would  soon  send  me  to  my  country.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  Dil  Assa 
Khan,  and  myself,  went  to  meet  the  King  near  the  palace  ;  he  looked 
away  from  me.  The  crowd  observed,  "  It  will  not  go  well  with  that 
Englishman." 

In  this  hour  of  deep  distress  and  despondency,  I  sent  through  Sir 
Charles  Napier,  via  India,  the  following  letter : 

My  dearest  Wife  and  Child, 

Never,  never,  never  for  a  moment  lose  your  love  and  obedience  and  faith  in 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  pray  for  me,  that  I  may  remain  faithful  to  Him  in  the  hour  of 
trial.  Entreat  the  Churches  in  England  to  pray  for  me  to  our  most  blessed  Re- 
deemer, Jeeus  Christ.  Give  my  regards  to  all  my  friends. 

Your  most  loving  husband  and  father 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 

I  sent  all  letters  from  Bokhara  open,  even  that  to  the  Sovereigns 
of  Europe  ;  and  this  latter  letter  was  forwarded  by  the  King  himself. 
Had  they  been  able  to  read  them,  no  doubt  I  should  have  died. 

The  day  following,  a  mullah  came,  and  asked  me,  in  His  Majesty's 
name,  whether  I  would  turn  Mussulman.  I  replied,  "Tell  the  King, 
NEVER — NEVER — NEVER  !"  He  asked  me,  "  Have  you  not  a  more 
polite  answer  for  the  King  ?"  I  said,  "  I  beg  you  to  tell  His  Majesty, 


OF   DR.   WOLFF  TO   BOKHARA.  263 

that  you  asked  me  whether  I  had  not  a  more  polite  answer  for  His 
Majesty,  and  I  said,  '  Decidedly  not.' '' 

A  few  hours  after  the  executioner  came, — the  same  who  had  put 
to  death  Stoddart  and  Conolly, — and  said,  "  Joseph  Wolff,  to  thee  it 
shall  happen  as  it  did  to  Stoddart  and  Conolly,"  and  made  a  sign  at 
my  throat  with  his  hand.  I  prepared  for  death,  and  carried  opium 
about  with  me,  that,  in  case  my  throat  should  be  cut,  I  might  not  feel 
the  pain.  However,  at  last  I  cast  away  the  opium,  and  prayed,  and 
wrote  in  my  Bible  these  words  : 

My  dearest  Georgiana  and  Henry, 

I  have  loved  both  of  you  unto  death, 

Your  affectionate  husband  and  father, 
Bokhara,  1844  J.  WOLFF. 

But  that  very  same  day,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  sent  word  to  the  Ameer, 
that  he  had  received  a  letter  for  His  Majesty  from  Muhammed  Shah. 
The  Ameer  sent  word  that  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  should  send  the  letter 
by  the  Shekhawl ;  but  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  replied,  that  he  had  re- 
ceived orders  from  his  court  to  deliver  the  letter  in  person.  The 
Ameer  sent  word  again  that  he  should  send  the  letter,  but  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan  protested  against  it,  when  His  Majesty  at  last  consented 
to  his  coming  to  the  palace.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  delivered  the  letter 
to  the  Ameer ;  after  having  perused  it  he  said,  "  Well,  I  make  a  pres- 
ent to  you  of  Joseph  Wolff;  he  may  go  with  you." 


264  NARRATIVE   OF   THE  MISSION 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Ameer  sends  for  the  Servants  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  Dil  Assa  Khan,  but  omits 
Dr.  Wolff's  by  mistake,  to  give  them  Robes  of  Honour.  Interview  with  the 
Nayeb.  Presents  from  the  King.  The  Ameer  tells  Dr.  Wolff  to  ask  a  Favour  of 
him  ;  Dr.  Wolff  declines  doing  so.  Ameer  determines  to  send  an  Ambassador  to 
England.  Vile  Conduct  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan.  Audience  of  leave  to  depart. 
Ameer  commends  the  Conduct  of  Dr.  Wolff;  censures  that  of  Stoddart  and 
Conolly.  Reception  in  Bokhara  by  the  People.  Murders  committed  by  Abdul 
Samut  Khan.  First  Plan  by  which  the  Ameer  might  be  effectually  checked  in 
his  Atrocities.  Second  Plan  for  same.  English  Honour  requires  some  Notice  to 
be  taken  of  the  Ameer's  Conduct.  Character  of  the  Ameer;  brutal,  lustful, 
tyrannical,  but  not  so  to  the  Poor ;  fond  of  Information  ;  deeply  affected  at  having 
put  to  Death  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  Dr.  Wolff  prefers  Ameer  to  Abdul  Samut 
Khan.  Description  of  Bokhara  by  Mr.  Macgregor.  Population  of  Khiva. 
Trade  of  those  Countries.  Russian  Trade.  Dignitaries  of  the  State.  Ecclesias- 
tical Dignitaries. 

THE  day  after  the  presentation  of  the  Shah's  letter,  the  Ameer 
sent  for  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's  and  Dil  Assa  Khan's  servants,  to  ask 
them  the  ordinary  questions  before  the  robes  of  honour  are  distributed, 
but  he  did  not  send  for  mine.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  was  frightened, 
and  said,  "  Do  not  stir  out  of  my  room ;  if  they  want  to  detain  you. 
I  will  defend  you  with  my  sword !"  However,  my  servant  was 
omitted  by  mere  mistake,  and  soon  sent  after. 

I  then  was  ordered  to  go  to  the  Nayeb  by  order  of  the  King.  The 
rascal  told  me  shortly,  "  There  are  no  Russian  slaves  for  you ;  I  give 
you  one  thousand  tillahs  more,  which  you  will  deliver  with  the  other 
two  thousand,  and  three  thousand  tillahs  you  have  to  give  me  for  my 
trouble,  including  a  present  of  eight  hundred  tillahs  to  my  son  Ab- 
dullah Khan  ;  and  the  two  thousand  two  hundred  tillahs  I  have  spent 
for  you  among  His  Majesty's  officers.  You  must  therefore  give  me 
now  a  note  of  hand  for  six  thousand  tillahs." 

W.  Give  me  back  my  other  notes  of  hand  ! 

He  did  so,  which  I  tore  instantly  to  pieces. 

Abdul  S.  Khan.  Why  do  you  tear  them  before  you  have  written 
the  other  ? 

W.  "  I  will  write  you  now  another."     I  wrote  thus  : 

In  the  garden  of  the  infamous  Nayeb,  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  surrounded  by 
his  banditti,  and  compelled  by  him,  I  write  that  he  forced  from  me  a  note  of  hand 
for  six  thousand  tillahs.  JOSEPH  WOLFF,  Prisoner. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  265 

I  desired  him  to  give  me  back  also  my  letter  of  his  good  services 
to  me,  that  I  might  write  another.  This  he  would  not  do.  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan  had  sent  his  servant  after  me,  afraid  lest  something  might 
happen  to  me  there.  I  therefore  returned  immediately  to  the  Toora 
Khane.  At  last  I  was  called  down  to  the  room  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan, 
when  ninety  tillahs  were  given  to  me  from  the  King,  as  a  present ;  a 
horse  with  a  silver  saddle,  and  a  shawl.  Dil  Assa  Khan  received  only 
forty-five  tillahs,  but  neither  shawl  nor  horse ;  and  the  Shekhawl 
then  turned  to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  said  :  "  His  Majesty  had  first 
intended  to  send  an  Ambassador  with  Joseph  Wolff  to  England,  but 
as  he  had  brought  no  letters  from  the  British  Government,  he  has  re- 
nounced this  idea,  especially  as  he  goes  with  you  ;  and  you  and  he 
can  explain  to  Muhammed  Shah  and  in  England  the  reason  of  the 
death  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly." 

A  few  days  after  the  presents  of  the  King  were  delivered,  suddenly 
a  Makhram  entered  my  room  with  a  Persian  Manuscript,  called  Ta- 
wareekh  Tabbaree,  as  a  present  from  the  King  to  me ;  and  His  Majesty 
requested  me  to  ask  a  favour.  I  replied,  that  His  Majesty's  bounty, 
especially  in  sending  me  away  in  such  an  honourable  manner,  was  so 
great,  that  I  had  no  other  favour  to  ask.  I  only  begged  His  Majesty 
to  add  his  seal  to  the  book,  which  he  did,  and  then  sent  me  word  that 
he  was,  after  all,  determined  to  send  Ameer  Abool  Kasem,  his  chief 
Makhram,  as  Ambassador  with  me  to  England.  I  replied,  that  His 
Majesty  might  do  what  he  pleased,  but  as  His  Majesty  sent  one  to  Mu- 
hammed Shah,  there  was  no  necessity  for  it.  The  Ameer  sent  a 
Makhram  to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  to  ask  what  the  necessary  expense 
of  an  Ambassador  to  England  might  be.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  who 
wished  to  dissuade  the  Ameer  from  this,  replied,  Two  hundred  thou- 
sand tillahs.  However,  the  Ameer  was  determined  now  upon  sending 
an  Ambassador,  for  the  assassin  Abdul  Samut  Khan  had  told  him  that 
if  he  did  not  send  an  Ambassador  with  me,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  would 
have  the  credit  of  having  effected  my  release,  and,  beside  this,  he 
(Abdul  Samut  Khan)  had  borrowed  for  me  from  merchants  three 
thousand  tillahs,  with  which  I  might  easily  defray  the  expense  of  an 
Ambassador  to  England,  whilst  at  the  same  time  he  made  my  servant 
Abdullah,  Mortesa,  Abbas,  and  others,  promise  to  poison  the  Ambas- 
sador on  the  road,  for  he  well  knew  that  on  his  return  the  Ambassador 
would  expose  his  villany  from  my  information,  and  the  authority  of 
my  Government  possibly,  if  his  credentials  were  received. 

Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  myself  were  then  called  up  to  the  Ameer. 
I  was  allowed  to  ride  on  horseback  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  through 
the  gates,  whilst  Dil  Assa  Khan  was  ordered  to  remain  behind.  We 

84 


266  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

appeared  before  the  King.  He  said  to  me  :  "  I  send  with  you  Ameer 
Abool  Kasem,  to  accompany  you  to  England.  Stoddart  and  Conolly 
excited  Khokand  and  Organtsh  to  war,  and  therefore  were  put  to 
death.  You,  Joseph  Wolff,  proved  yourself  to  be  a  man  of  under- 
standing and  knowledge,  and  therefore  I  treated  you  with  honour." 

W.  Europeans  frequently  come  to  a  country  without  knowing  the 
customs  of  it,  and  make,  therefore,  mistakes  which  they  do  not  intend. 

We  then  left  Bokhara  the  day  following,  amidst  thousands  of  con- 
gratulating inhabitants,  who  called  my  liberation  "  A  new  birth  !"  I 
succeeded  in  taking  with  me  four  slaves;  but  Abbas  Kouli  Khan 
bought  with  his  own  money  twenty  slaves,  whom  he  ransomed,  and 
took  with  him  one  thousand  of  those  who  had  previously  bought  their 
liberty. 

The  following  people  have  been  killed  at  Bokhara,  at  the  instigation 
of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  : 

1.  Youssuf  Khan,  from  Scio. 

2.  Colonel  Stoddart. 

3.  Captain  Conolly. 

4.  A  Turkomaun  from  Merwe,  sent  to  Bokhara  to  assist  hi  the  escape  of  Colonel 
Stoddart. 

5.  Ephraim,  a  Jew  from  Meshed,  who  brought  letters  for  Conolly. 

6.  An  Englishman,  who  passed  by  the  name  of  Hatta. 

7.  Captain  Wyburd. 

8.  Five  Englishmen,  executed  outside  the  town  of  Jehaar-Joo. 

9.  Naselli. 

The  Grand  Cazi,  his  servant  Molam  Beyk,  Mahsom,  Khoja  Saheb 
from  Cashmeer,  Ushur  Beyk,  Saadat,  several  merchants  from  Persia, 
and  Abdul  Samut  Khan's  own  servants,  accuse  him  as  the  murderer ; 
nor  does  he  deny  the  perpetration  of  these  atrocities  himself. 

Haje  Ismael,  a  merchant,  left  Bokhara  with  me.  He  had  been 
long  in  Yarkand  and  Kashgar.  He  told  me  that  several  Englishmen 
had  arrived  at  Yarkand,  who  escaped  from  the  disaster  at  Cabul. 
They  were  well  treated,  but  not  allowed  to  leave  the  place.  If  the 
Ameer  had  permitted  me  to  proceed  via  Yarkand  and  Russia,  I  cer- 
tainly would  have  taken  that  road.  Haje  Ismael  also  informed  me 
that  they  have  at  Kashgar,  Yarkand,  and  throughout  Chinese  Tartary, 
beacons  of  fire,  by  which  they  are  informed  of  the  departure  and  ap- 
proach of  caravans  from  an  immense  distanse. 

The  question  may  here,  after  the  detail  of  these  atrocities,  be  ask- 
ed, Is  there  no  way  of  punishing  the  King  of  Bokhara,  and  ought  it 
to  be  done,  and  what  advantages  may  accrue  from  punishing  him,  and 
what  disadvantages  from  not  punishing  him  ? 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  267 

Now  first,  Is  there  no  way  of  punishing  him  ?  There  are  several 
ways  of  punishing  him,  and  this  most  surely.  The  first,  and  the  most 
straightforward,  would  be  by  sending  an  army  from  Scinde  through 
Candahar,  and  from  Candahar  through  Maymona,  to  Bokhara.  On 
that  road  there  would  be  villages  upon  villages,  and  provisions  and 
water  enough,  and  in  order  to  induce  Kohandel  Khan,  the  Ameer  of 
Candahar,  not  to  lay  any  hindrance  in  the  way,  they  should  allow 
him  to  take  possession  of  Ankhoy,  which  place  is  governed  by  a  Khan, 
but  one  who  is  tributary  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  a  robber  and  slave- 
maker  :  and  Kohandel  Khan  ought  to  be  made  to  promise  to  the 
British  army,  that  after  his  taking  Ankhoy,  he  would  give  liberty 
to  the  Persian  slaves  residing  at  Ankhoy.  Dost  Muhammed  Khan 
ought  to  be  allowed  to  send  an  army  to  Khoolom  and  Balkh,  whilst 
all  the  time  the  British  army  should  march  from  Ankhoy  to  Kar- 
kee,  where  they  must  cross  the  Oxus,  for  which  reason  they  ought 
to  take  a  good  deal  of  timber  with  them,  in  order  to  be  able  to 
make  a  flying  bridge.  A  few  shots  of  artillery  from  the  part  of 
the  English  army  will  put  to  flight  the  whole  host  of  Usbecks. 
Having  once  crossed  the  Oxus,  they  should  issue  proclamations  to 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Bokhara,  saying  that  nothing  should  be  done 
to  them  in  case  they  delivered  up,  alive  or  dead,  the  Ameer  of 
Bokhara,  and  his  Nayeb  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  which  I  am  sure 
would  be  instantly  done.  The  British  army  then  should  proclaim 
the  Ameer's  son  the  rightful  successor  to  the  throne,  which  would 
pacify  the  whole  nation ;  but  the  Persian  slaves,  two  hundred  thou- 
sand in  number,  ought  to  be  made  free,  which  would  give  popularity 
to  the  English  nation  all  over  Persia,  Khokand,  Tashkand,  and  Yar- 
kand.  The  name  of  Sir  Charles  Napier,  Governor  of  Scinde,  which 
has  already  struck  terror  all  over  AfFghanistaun,  Beloochistaun,  Bok- 
hara, Khiva,  and  Khokand,  would  supply  twenty  thousand  men ;  for 
he  is  called  now  at  Bokhara,  the  Rustam  of  Dowlat,  which  means  the 
Giant  of  England. 

The  other  plan  of  marching  towards  Bokhara  will  be  to  allow  Persia 
to  take  permanent  possession  of  Sarakhs  and  Mowr,  and  thus  for  ever 
put  a  stop  to  the  depredations  of  the  Turkomauns  of  Mowr,  and  also 
to  take  Jehaar-Joo,  a  frontier  city  of  Bokhara  this  side  of  the  Oxus; 
and  then  allow  them  to  march  towards  Bokhara  in  order  to  liberate 
the  Persian  slaves  there,  but  on  condition  that  the  Persian  army  should 
evacuate  Bokhara  after  having  taken  prisoner  the  Ameer,  his  Nayeb, 
Abdul  Samut  Khan,  and  placed  on  the  throne  the  Ameer's  son.  It 
should  march  back  by  Maymona  and  Ankhoy,  in  order  to  liberate  the 
slaves  there,  and  thus  return  triumphantly  to  Persia,  enriched  by  thou- 


268  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

sands  of  Persian  subjects,  and  the  additional  possession  of  Mowr  and 
Jehaar-Joo.  In  order  that  the  expedition  of  the  Persian  army  might 
be  crowned  with  success,  and  that,  at  the  same  time,  the  inhabitants 
of  Bokhara  and  all  the  countries  around  should  be  convinced  that  that 
expedition  was  undertaken  at  the  instigation  of  the  British  Government, 
some  regiments  of  British  soldiers  ought  to  be  sent  with  it.  The  ad- 
vantage of  punishing  the  King  of  Bokhara,  either  from  the  side  of 
Scinde,  or  with  the  assistance  of  Persia,  would  be  this :  First,  that 
such  an  occurrence  as  the  murder  of  two  British  Officers  would  not  be 
repeated,  either  at  Bokhara,  or  in  any  other  adjacent  countries  ;  and 
European  travellers  might  then  with  more  ease  go  there  and  pursue 
their  researches  in  those  interesting  countries ;  and  the  light  of  the 
Gospel  might  then  with  more  ease  be  spread  all  over  Bokhara,  Kho- 
kand,  &c. ;  and  Persian  slaves  at  Bokhara,  with  those  of  Ankhoy  and 
Maymona  included,  amounting  in  the  whole  to  the  number  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  be  set  at  liberty  j  and  the  name  of  Eng- 
lishmen would  be  blessed  even  by  the  Usbecks  themselves  for  having 
delivered  them,  from  the  hands  of  two  bloodthirsty  tyrants,  the  Ameer, 
and  his  Nayeb,  Abdul  Samut  Khan.  Should  England,  however,  not 
take  any  further  notice  of  the  atrocious  murder  committed  by  the 
Ameer  at  the  instigation  of  the  Nayeb,  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  our  country 
will  lose  all  the  moral  influence  it  now  possesses  in  these  countries ; 
and  Khiva  and  Khokand,  where  such  a  crime  has  not  yet  been  com- 
mitted, may  follow  the  example  of  their  enemy  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara, 
in  order  to  show  that  they  can  do  so  with  the  same  impunity,  and 
England  will  fall  into  contempt  even  in  Persia. 

I  have  here  also  to  observe,  that  on  my  arrival  at  Bokhara,  I  im- 
mediately asked  what  had  become  of  Hassan  Baba,  the  man  sent  by 
the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  at  the  request  of  Colonel  Sheil,  who  was  a 
Mervee.  To  my  great  astonishment,  I  learned  that  though  he  had 
arrived  two  months  before  my  arrival  at  Bokhara,  he  never  had  seen 
the  Ameer,  and  though  he  had  delivered  the  letter  and  present  of  the 
Assaff-ood-Dowla,  His  Majesty  never  deigned  to  give  him  any  answer 
whatever.  This  shows  still  further  the  necessity  for  controlling  him. 
I  shall  take  this  opportunity  of  saying  a  few  words  on  the  character  of 
the  Ameer. 

My  readers  may  ask  what  I  think  about  the  character  of  the  Ameer. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  is  tyrannical  and  cruel ;  witness  the 
deaths  of  his  five  brothers,  and  the  many  murdered  Makhrams  who 
refused  to  pander  to  his  passions.  Muhammed  AH  Khan,  King  of 
Khokand,  was  not  only  murdered  by  him,  but  also  his  pregnant  wife 
was  not  only  killed,  but  the  living  child  severed  from  her  womb  was 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  269 

cut  to  pieces.  His  profligacy  is  universally  spoken  of;  his  disposition 
is  not  only  suspicious,  but  variable  ;  but  at  the  same  time  we  must 
not  forget  some  good  points. 

He  does  not  tyrannize  over  his  poor  subjects,  who  pass  by  the  name 
of  Fukarra,  but  protects  them  powerfully  against  the  tyranny  of  the 
Serkerdeha,  and  is  therefore  liked  by  the  commons,  and  detested  by 
the  nobility.  He  is  not  fond  of  money,  and  hates  bribery  in  the  ex- 
treme ;  affects  to  take  Timur  as  his  pattern,  and  has  therefore  a  sim- 
ilar motto  for  his  seal,  i.  e.  Hakan  Adalat — "  Truth  and  Equity." 

His  desire  for  information  is  unbounded,  and  he  therefore  puts  to 
strangers  question  after  question,  and  if  he  were  not  in  the  hands  of 
Abdul  Samut  Khan  he  might  yet  become  another  Muhammed  AH ; 
and  with  this  advantage  over  the  Pasha  of  Egypt,  that  he  would  have 
contrived  to  make  the  poor  happy,  of  which  Muhammed  Ali  has  no 
idea.  I  must  repeat,  that  it  was  a  great  mistake  of  the  British  Gov- 
ernment not  to  have  allowed  his  Ambassador  to  come  here.  Even  the 
Russian  Ambassador  told  me  that  his  government  would  not  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  the  King  of  Bokhara  until  the  Ameer  had  sent  an 
Ambassador  to  England  apologizing  for  his  conduct.  He  gets  soon 
incensed,  and  when  he  is  angry  the  blood  comes  into  his  face,  and 
creates  convulsive  action  of  the  muscles ;  and  in  such  fits  he  gives  the 
most  outrageous  orders,  reckless  of  consequences.  He  has  put  down 
by  the  simple  word  Hookum,  i.  e.  Order,  the  most  ancient  customs, 
and  has  overthrown  the  power  of  the  mullahs  utterly.  He  delights  to 
hear  that  people  tremble  at  his  name,  and  laughs  with  violence  when 
he  hears  of  their  apprehensions.  He  is  jealous  of  Muhammed  Ali, 
in  Egypt,  and  says  that  his  country  will  never  equal  Bokhara.  He 
expressed  no  contempt  for  England,  but  was  exceedingly  anxious  to 
become  reconciled  to  it ;  but  the  continual  suspicions  infused  into  his 
mind,  made  him  hesitate  dismissing  me, — suspicions  engrafted  there 
by  those  who  well  knew  this  weak  point  of  his  nature ;  and,  as  the 
Kazi  Kelaun  assured  me,  he  more  than  once  had  exclaimed,  "  The 
wounds  of  my  heart  for  having  slain  those  English  people  will  never 
heal." 

And  I  must  now  declare,  that  I  prefer  him,  in  spite  of  his  faults,  to 
the  base  Abdul  Samut  Khan ;  and  Colonel  Sheil,  knowing  that  Abdul 
Samut  Khan  was  in  India,  ought  to  have  asked  of  Sir  Claude  Martin 
Wade,  who  is  well  acquainted  with  Abdul  Samut  Khan's  character, 
what  kind  of  a  man  he  was.  I  am  now  in  England,  and  enabled  to 
reflect  on  subjects  more  maturely  than  at  the  time  when  I  was  sur- 
rounded with  dangers  and  suffering  from  illness ;  and  I  must  say  that 
I  cannot  understand  why  Colonel  Sheil  refused  to  give  me%  a  letter  for 


270  NARRATIVE   OP   THE   MISSION 

the  King  of  Bokhara,  whilst  he  gave  me  two  letters  of  introduction, 
the  one  for  Haje  Ibrahim,  Abdul  Samut  Khan's  brother,  a  most  con- 
summate villain,  and  another  for  Abdul  Samut  Khan  himself* 

Let  us  now  look  a  little  at  another  point — the  commerce  between 
these  countries  and  Russia.  The  following  statement  of  Mr.  McGre- 
gor, the  Secretary  to  the  Board  of  Trade,  is  highly  valuable,  subject 
only  to  a  few  corrections : 

The  trade  of  Russia  with  Khiva  and  Bokhara  appears  to  be  growing  into  impor- 
tance, chiefly  from  Nijnei-Novogorod,  and  through  the  town  of  Orenburg,  on  the 
river  Aral.  This  town  is  admirably  situated  for  trade  with  the  Kirghises,  and  with 
Khiva  and  Bokhara,  although  a  part  of  the  Russian  trade  with  the  countries  east 
of  the  Caspian  is  carried  on  from  Astrakan  across  that  sea,  and  to  some  extent 
through  Persia.  Orenburg,  which  has  a  population  estimated  at  nineteen  thousand 
inhabitants,  is  situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Aral.  This  long  tortuous  river, 
with  the  mountain  range  of  the  same  name,  forms  a  boundary  between  European 
Russia  and  Asia.  It  is  shallow,  and  of  little  advantage  for  navigable  purposes,  but 
it  abounds  with  fish.  The  town  of  Orenburg  is  regularly  built  and  fortified.  The 
trade  of  the  town  is  chiefly  carried  on  at  Bazaars,  on  the  south  or  Asiatic  side  of 
the  river. 

In  1833  there  arrived,  according  to  Schnitzler,  fourteen  caravans  of  two  thousand 
five  hundred  and  forty-seven  camels,  exclusive  of  horses ;  and  thirteen  caravans  of 
four  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty-nine  camels,  and  two  hundred  and  sixty -four 
horses  departed,  laden  with  goods,  for  various  parts  of  Asia,  chiefly  for  the  country 
of  the  Kirghises,  for  Khiva,  and  for  Bokhara. 

The  Khanat  of  Khiva,  which  now  comprises  a  vast  region  along  the  Caspian 
from  Persia,  north  to  the  Kirghises  Tartar  country,  and  east  to  the  Oxus  and  the 
Lake  Ural,  has  only,  according  to  Burnes,  a  population  not  exceeding  two  hundred 
thousand  inhabitants.  He  describes  them  as  organized  bandits  5  and,  according  to 
other  authors,  they  are  not  generally  better  than  predatory  savages.  It  is  agricul- 
tural where  the  ground  is  sufficiently  fertile  for  cultivation.  There  are  few  horned 
cattle  ;  sheep,  goats,  and  horses  are  numerous,  and  all  these  are  used  as,  and  con- 
sidered the  chief  food  of  the  inhabitants.  There  are  few  manufactures,  except 
some  coarse  cottons  and  silk  stuffs  made  by  the  women.  Camels  are  chiefly  used 
as  beasts  of  burden,  and  caravans  of  these  proceed  annually  for  Russian  merchan- 
dise to  Orenburg,  Astrakan,  and  Karaghan,  on  the  east  coast  of  the  Caspian,  and 
others  go  south  to  Cabul  and  Persia.  This  trade  is  conducted  by  the  Turkomauns, 
Khivans,  and  Persians.  The  Khan,  who  is  chief  of  the  Usbeks,  or  dominant  races, 
levies  duties  on  goods  entering  or  passing  through  the  Khanat ;  and  especially  at  the 
ports  or  landing-places  of  Mangasluk  and  Karaghan,  where  boats  with  goods  arrive 
from  Astrakan.  The  capital  of  Khiva  is  a  town  of  mud  huts,  with  three  stone 
mosques,  and  a  mud  palace.  Its  chief  trade  is  in  slaves,  of  whom  there  are  about 
forty  thousand  in  the  Khanat,  and  it  is  said  there  are  many  captured  Russians  who 
are  slaves  in  Khiva. 

The  Khanat  of  Khokan  bounds  closely  on  Russia.  This  mountainous  region 
produces  silk  and  cotton,  and  various  grains,  coals,  and  iron  abound.  Agriculture, 
pasturage,  and  rearing  silk-worms,  and  mounting  cottons,  and  embroidered  silks. 
Russian  goods  find  their  way,  to  a  considerable  amount,  to  Khokan,  the  capital.  It 
is  said  that  this  town  has  a  population  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  It  is, 


OP  DR.   WOLFF  TO   BOKHASA.  271 

like  Khiva,  built  of  mud,  with  the  exception  of  three  stone  bazaars.  Russian 
caravans  from  the  Siberian  towns  of  Semipolatinsk,  on  the  banks  of  the  Irtish,  and 
from  Petroparetok  on  the  Ichim,  are  said  to  pass  also  through  Khokan  to  the  fron- 
tiers of  China,  with  Russian  merchandise.  Mussulmans  pay  a  duty  of  two  and  a 
half  per  cent,  on  goods  imported,  and  other  importers  five  per  cent. 

The  Khanat  of  Bokhara,  or  the  country  of  the  Uzbec  Tartars,  comprises  about 
two  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  square  miles  of  Central  Asia,  and  Burnes  esti- 
mates its  population  at  one  million  of  inhabitants.  Other  authorities  estimate  the 
Uzbecs  alone  at  one  million  five  hundred  thousand,  and  the  other  races  at  nearly 
one  million.  Many  portions  of  this  region  are  remarkably  fertile,  and  agriculture  is 
the  principal  source  of  occupation  and  subsistence.  Wheat,  barley,  rice,  maize, 
beans,  melons,  are  all  grown,  with  several  other  kinds  of  grain,  vegetables,  and 
fruits,  sheep  and  goats ;  the  latter  yield  the  fine  hair  or  wool  scarcely  inferior  to 
Cashmeer— the  former  the  jet-black  Woolly  skins  used  for  Persian  caps,  &c. ;  about 
two  hundred  thousand  skins  are  annually  exported.  Mutton  is  the  chief  animal 
food.  Horses  and  oxen  are  reared  ;  the  flesh  of  the  latter  is  only  eaten  by  the  poor. 
The  manufacturing  industry  is  unimportant ;  some  embroidery,  silk  stuffs,  shagreen, 
sabres,  fire-arms,  and  articles  of  various  metals,  and  leather,  are  among  the  limited 
quantity  of  fabrics  made.  The  capital,  Bokhara,  is  described  by  Burnes  as  a  town 
containing  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  inhabitants.  It  has  massive  buildings, 
three  hundred  and  sixty  mosques,  three  hundred  schools,  the  Khan's  palace,  or 
rather  fortress ;  houses  built  of  bricks  dried  in  the  sun ;  very  narrow  and  dirty 
Streets  ;  lofty  arched  bazaars,  in  which  the  different  trades  have  their  distinct  sec- 
tions ;  and  ponds  and  fountains  for  the  supply  of  water.  The  slave  and  gem  markets 
are  open  only  twice  a  week  ;  all  others  are  open  daily.  Fruits  and  jellies  of  all 
kinds  abound  in  the  market,  and  plenty  of  ice  is  to  be  had  during  the  hottest  weather. 
Tea  is  the  favourite  beverage.  There  are  numerous  large  baths.  This  mart,  which 
is  to  Central  Africa  the  great  entrep&t,  is  described  as  presenting  unceasing  activity 
and  noise.  The  caravans  from  and  to  Russia  travel  by  the  following  routes,  viz. : 
by  the  route  of  Khiva,  to  the  shores  of  and  across  the  Caspian,  from  and  to  Astra- 
kan  ;  by  the  route  to  and  from  Orenburg,  by  land,  in  sixty  days,  through  Orghenje 
in  Khiva ;  to  and  from  Trodiska,  in  Tobolsk,  by  the  route  east  of  the  lake  Aral,  in 
forty-nine  days ;  and  to  and  from  Petroparstok,  in  ninety  days.  Of  the  whole 
number,  two  thousand,  which  leave  India  annually,  about  one  thousand  camels 
reach  Bokhara  with  Oriental  goods  ;  the  remaining  thousand  stop  in  Affghanistaun, 
Cabul,  or  diverge  west  into  Persia*. 

The  population  of  Khiva  is  at  least  six  hundred  thousand.  In- 
cluded in  this  number  are  forty  thousand  Persians,  including  Kaffir 
Seeah-Poosh.  The  Russian  slaves,  who  caused  the  war  with  Russia 
and  Khiva,  and  which  amounted  to  two  hundred,  have  been  sent  to 
Russia  by  the  advice  of  Sir  R.  Shakespeare.  Mr.  Abbot,  who  pre- 
ceded him,  was  foolish  enough  to  advise  the  King  of  Khiva  not  to  give 
up  the  Russian  slaves  until  he  had  treated  with  the  Russian  Emperor, 
but  Shakespeare  was  wise  enough  to  advise  their  immediate  cession. 
The  Khan  of  Khiva  is,  as  I  think  I  have  observed  already,  very  anx- 

*  Commercial  Statistics,  Vol.  II.,  p.  637. 


272  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

ious  to  make  a  strict  alliance  with  England,  and  it  seems  that  Eng- 
land encourages  him,  but,  to  speak  the  truth,  it  is  not  of  the  least  use ; 
for  though  the  Khan  of  Khiva  has,  perhaps,  not  yet  killed  any  Eng- 
lishmen, I  am  sure  that  he  is  equally  disposed,  or  rather  more  so, 
than  the  King  of  Bokhara.  From  all  that  I  have  heard  of  the  Khan  of 
Khiva,  he  is  a  horrid  brute,  and  the  atrocities  committed  by  the  Khan 
of  Khiva  exceed  those  of  the  King  of  Bokhara,  and  they  are  too  horrid 
to  be  described.  I  say,  studiously,  perhaps  he  has  not  killed  any 
Englishman,  for  I  am  not  at  all  certain  that  he  has  not  killed  several. 
For  I  have  it  on  good  authority  that  he  has  strangled  several  Euro- 
peans. But  Colonel  Sheil,  to  whom  I  mentioned  the  fact,  told  me  that 
those  Europeans,  though  Germans  by  birth,  were  Russian  spies. 

Besides  that,  what  can  England  expect  from  the  King  of  Khiva  ? 
Bokhara  and  Khiva  are  like  the  Barbary  States — slave-making  states 
— and  ought  to  be  put  down  ;  and  if  England  were  to  make  an  alli- 
ance with  Khiva,  Persia  and  Russia  would  be  her  enemies.  The 
population  of  the  city  of  Khokand  is  three  hundred  thousand,  and  the 
entire  population  is  three  millions.  From  the  best  sources,  viz.,  the 
Kazi  Kelauri,  the  Tatshick  merchants,  and  other  mullahs,  we  know 
that  the  population  of  the  kingdom  of  Bokhara  is  one  million  two  hun- 
dred thousand,  of  whom  two  hundred  thousand  are  Persian  slaves. 
The  capital  contains  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand.  Horse-flesh 
is  considered  a  delicacy ;  I  received  it  repeatedly  from  the  King's 
table,  and  the  King  eats  it  himself.  The  manner  of  drinking  tea  in 
the  Mogul  fashion,  is  with  milk,  salt,  grease,  and  cinnamon. 

The  town  of  Bokhara  is  situated  one  day's  journey  to  the  north  of 
the  river  Jehoon  or  Amoo ;  Ghengis  Khan  besieged  it  in  1219,  and 
took  it  in  1220.  Thousands  of  Jews  emigrated  at  that  time  to  China. 
The  houses  are  mostly  built  of  mud.  The  chief  places  for  trade  in 
the  kingdom  are  Bokhara,  Karshee,  Karakol,  Samarcand,  and  Kar- 
kee.  There  are  immense  numbers  of  shops,  in  which  chiefly  Russian 
goods  are  sold,  full  three  hundred  merchants,  from  Chicarpore,  in 
Scinde,  and  other  parts  of  Hindustaun  ;  but  the  chief  trade  is  carried 
on  with  Russia.  Mighty  caravans  arrive  from  and  go  to  Orenbourg 
and  Siberia,  transported  by  the  Kirghese. 

It  is  very  remarkable  that  the  Prophet  Ezekiel,  in  the  twentv-sev- 
enth  chapter,  fourteenth  verse,  gives  an  exact  description  of  the  trade 
carried  on  by  the  Turkomauns  with  the  inhabitants  of  Bokhara,  Khi- 
va, and  Khokand.  The  Prophet  says  :  "  They  of  the  house  of  Togar- 
mah  (i.  e.  the  Turkomauns)  traded  in  thy  fairs  with  horses  and  horse- 
men, and  mules."  The  Turkomauns  to  this  day,  like  the  Swiss 
Guards,  are  mercenaries,  and  let  themselves  out  for  a  few  tengas  a 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  273 

day.  It  is  also  remarkable,  that  I  frequently  heard  the  Tflrkomauns 
call  themselves  Toghramah,  and  the  Jews  call  them  Togarmah. 

Viewing  the  hosts  of  camels  coming  with  merchandise  from  Cash- 
meer,  Cabal,  Khokand,  Khetay,  and  Orenbourg,  the  passage  of  Isaiah 
Ix.  6,  comes  forcibly  on  the  mind,  where  the  Prophet  says :  "  The 
multitude  of  camels  shall  cover  thee,  the  dromedaries  of  Midian  and 
Ephah  ;  all  they  from  Sheba  shall  come  :  they  shall  bring  gold  and 
incense."  Mentioning  gold,  I  must  not  forget,  that  near  Samarcand 
there  are  gold  mines  and  turquoises.  And  the  King  of  Bokhara 
wanted  to  know  whether  there  are  turquoises  to  be  found  in  England. 

The  articles  which  are  brought  from  Bokhara  to  Russia  are  dry 
fruit,  silks,  indigo,  and  caps.  The  articles  brought  from  Russia,  cali- 
coes, muslins,  &c.  The  merchants  from  Bokhara  transport  also  to 
Russia  goods  from  Khokand,  Tashkand,  Khokand,  and  Turkistaun. 

Among  the  chief  dignitaries  of  the  state  may  be  numbered  : 

The  Goosh-Bekee,  or  Keeper  of  the  Seal ;  this  situation  is  now  vacant,  since  the 
late  Goosh-Bekee,  an  excellent  man,  was  killed  by  order  of  the  present  Ameer, 
though  he  was  chiefly  indebted  to  him,  as  we  have  shown,  for  his  accession  to  the 
throne.  He  was  not  only  the  Vizier,  but  also  the  Chief  of  the  Custom-house ;  but 
this  situation  is  now  vested  in  the  Dastarkhanjeo,  who  carries  a  gold  hatchet,  and 
brings  the  victuals  to  the  King.  The  person  who  occupies  at  present  this  situation 
is  a  man  of  the  most  licentious  character. 

Shekhawl,  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs. 

Moonshee  Bashi,  Chief  Secretary  of  State. 

Mukhram,  Chamberlains,  who  are  not  only  the  spies,  but  also  the  ruffians  of  the 
King.  They  came  almost  every  day  swaggering  into  my  room,  accompanied  by  a 
Mirza  (Secretary),  telling  me,  in  an  authoritative  and  vulgar  overbearing  manner, 
"  Hasrat  (His  Majesty)  wants  several  questions  to  be  answered  by  you !" 

The  dignitaries  of  the  Muhammedan  religion  : 

1.  Sheikh  al-Islam,  Chief  of  the  Ulemas. 

2.  Nakeeb,  who  decides  the  disputes  between  the  soldiers. 

3.  Kazi-Kelaun,  who  settles  the  disputes  between  the  Fukara,  i.  e.  subjects. 

4.  Reis,  Minister  of  Public  Worship— Superintendent  of  the  Morals  of  the  place ; 
he  does  not  allow  smoking,  and  gets  people  bastinadoed  if  they  neglect  going  to  the 
mosque. 

5.  Meer  Shab,  Director  of  the  Night,  who  announces,  with  a  sound  resembling  a 
loud  drum,  that  people  are  not  allowed  to  stir  about  in  the  night  time. 

These  are  the  chief  authorities;  beside  others,  as  in  different  Muhammedan 
countries. 

35 


274  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Departure  from  Bokhara.  Dr.  Wolff  discovers  a  Plot  to  kill  and  rob  him,  en  route. 
Thousands  attend  to  witness  their  Departure.  Dr.  Wolff  refuses  to  separate  from 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  Arrival  at  Jesman-Doo.  Vile  Conduct  of  Muhammed 
Taki.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  expresses  his  Displeasure.  Derveesh  of  Yarkand ; 
Conversation  with  him.  Affghaun  Seyd ;  Conversation  with  him.  The  Calmucks ; 
their  singular  Conduct.  Remarkable  fine  sense  of  Smelling  and  Hearing  in 
Turkomauns.  Appearance  of  Usbecks.  Conversation  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  ; 
he  thinks  Abdul  Samut  Khan  was  the  Murderer  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain 
Conolly.  Visit  from  a  Mullah;  his  Account  of  Timur.  Shahr  Sabz.  Route — 
Jesman-Doo ;  Shahr  Islam.  History  of  Afrasiab.  Reports  of  Guzl-Bash  about 
the  English.  Mortesa  and  Abdullah  advise  Dr.  Wolff  to  leave  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan  ;  he  refuses.  Peikand.  Karakol.  The  Governor  of  Karakol  warns  Dr. 
Wolff  that  a  Plot  is  laid  to  take  away  his  life.  Hussein.  Route — Allat.  The 
Caravan  lose  their  way.  An  attempt  made  by  Ismael  and  Mortesa  to  seize  Dr. 
Wolff;  he  calls  on  the  Merchants  of  the  Caravan  to  protect  him.  Sayen.  Dr. 
Wolff  wishes  to  throw  away  the  Money  in  the  Desert ;  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  takes 
it  in  his  keeping. 

WE  set  out  from  Bokhara  on  the  3rd  of  August,  and  arrived  one 
farsagh  from  Bokhara,  at  the  village  called  Jesman-Doo,  where  we 
halted  for  a  time  in  a  garden  on  the  border  of  a  tank.  The  party 
consisted  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  ;  Dil  Assa  Khan  ;  Ameer  Sarog ; 
Kaher  Kouli ;  Sabhan  Ullah  Beyk,  Ambassador  of  the  King  of  Bok- 
hara to  the  King  of  Persia ;  Ameer  Abool  Kasem,  Ambassador  to 
Queen  Victoria  j  Haje  Ismael,  from  Yarkand  ;  four  Persian  slaves, 
whom  I  caused  to  escape  ;  one  thousand  slaves,  who  had  bought  their 
liberty  ;  the  murderers  hired  by  Abdul  Samut  Khan  ;  merchants  from 
Cabul  ;  derveeshes  and  fakeers  from  Hindustaun  ;  Mirza  Abdul  Wa- 
hab,  who  painted  for  me  portraits  when  at  Bokhara,  and  who  wrote  a 
narrative  of  my  sufferings  ;  in  all  full  two  thousand  camels. 

Previous  to  quitting  Bokhara,  I  discovered  that  the  Nayeb  had 
agreed  with  Abdullah,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  Ismael  Khan,  Mortesa,  Ameer 
Sarog,  and  Kaher  Kouli,  that  they  should  kill  me,  and  take  from  me 
the  three  thousand  tillahs,  as  he  thought  he  could  get  with  ease  the 
six  thousand  tillahs  by  presenting  my  note  of  hand  to  Colonel  Sheil ; 
and  beside  this,  the  three  thousand  tillahs  of  interest  at  twenty  per 
cent,  which  he  gave  Conolly,  and  which  he  took  back  after  his  death. 
I  was  informed  of  this  plot  by  the  Jews,  Mullahs  Meshiakh,  Pinehas, 
and  Simkha,  by  the  servants  of  the  Grand  Kazi,  and  even  those  of  the 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  275 

Nayeb.  Abdullah  confessed  it  at  Meshed,  and  Abbas  Kouli  Khan 
had  received  similar  information. 

On  our  leaving  Bokhara,  thousands  of  people  came  forth,  Jews  and 
Usbecks,  Tarkomauns  and  Persians,  and  the  streets  resounded  with 
the  exclamation,  "  God  preserve  the  Ameer  that  he  has  sent  you 
away."  A  veiled  woman  stood  in  the  street ;  she  wept,  and  exclaim- 
ed,  "  What  joy  your  wife  will  have  !  how  will  she  sing  you  have  been 
born  again  f  Such  a  favour  has  not  been  shown  for  a  long  time  by 
the  Padishah." 

The  conspirators,  Mortesa  and  Abdullah,  tried  to  persuade  me  to 
separate  from  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  but  I  refused.  I  said,  "  I  know 
your  viliany;  I  shall  always  ride  in  the  train  of  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan." 

We  thus  proceeded,  by  order  of  the  King,  to  Jesman-Doo.  Muham- 
med  Taki,  the  astrologer  from  Heraut,  who  came  with  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan  from  Persia,  for  the  purpose  of  getting,  by  the  Shah's  influence 
with  the  Ameer,  his  wife,  who  had  been  made  a  slave  of  by  the  Turk- 
omauns,  both  recovered  her,  and,  besides  this,  received  one  hundred 
ducats  from  the  Ameer.  When  he  came  to  the  garden  of  Jesman- 
Doo,  to  our  surprise,  without  his  wife,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  asked  him, 
"  Where  is  your  wife  ?"  He  replied,  "  I  have  looked  in  the  stars  for 
two  or  three  nights  successively,  and  seen  one  star  with  a  black  tail, 
from  which  I  perceived  that  misery  is  entailed  upon  her,  and  therefore 
I  have  resold  her  for  forty  ducats  and  a  beautiful  high-bosomed  slave 
girl,  only  seventeen."  I  never  saw  in  my  life  a  man  so  incensed  as 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  He  rose  from  the  ground,  cast  away  his  galyoon 
with  such  violence  that  it  broke  to  pieces,  and  said,  "  God  burn  you 
and  your  stars.  You  rascal,  you  did  not  look  on  the  stars,  but  on  the 
money  and  the  beauty  of  the  young  girl.  I  spit  in  your  beard." 
The  astrologer  went  out  quite  mortified. 

Soon  after,  a  derveesh  of  Yarkand  entered  the  garden.  He  was  of 
that  class  of  derveeshes  called  the  Bektash,  who  pretend  to  have  at- 
tained to  such  a  degree  of  knowledge  that  no  divine  revelation  is  of 
any  use  to  them,  nor  any  book.  He  asked  me,  "  How  do  you  prove 
the  necessity  of  religion  ?"  I  replied,  that  all  nations  were  forced  to 
confess  that  religion  is  the  only  support  to  our  weak  nature,  and  that 
knowledge  which  has  only  for  its  object  terrestrial  things  is  unworthy 
of  the  name  of  knowledge.  But  in  order  to  arrive  at  a  knowledge  of 
heavenly  things,  a  heavenly  mind  is  required.  There  is  a  spiritual 
sense  in  the  heart,  which  I  call  a  revelation  of  God  to  the  heart,  and 
therefore  God  will  disappear  from  those  who  seek  Him  only  with  their 
intellect.  This  is  the  case  with  you  Bektash,  and  many  European 


276  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

philosophers.  The  revelations  of  God,  as  laid  down  in  our  sacred 
books,  may  be  considered  as  wings  by  which  men  are  able  to  soar  up 
to  heaven.  Only  by  a  steady  looking  on  divine  revelation,  is  human 
nature  able  to  progress  towards  heaven.  Nothing  is  so  terrible  and 
awful  to  man  as  when  God  disappears  from  human  reason  j  I  mean, 
when  we  seek  truth,  independent  of  its  Author. 

An  Affghaun  Seyd  entered  the  garden,  and  said,  "  Aye,  you  Kafir ! 
have  you  succeeded  in  cheating  the  Ameer,  so  that  he  let  you  go  ? 
If  he  had  only  given  you  into  my  hands,  I  would  soon  have  made 
away  with  you  by  my  javelin."  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  said  to  him, 
"  Go,  and  leave  the  Frankee  alone ;  he  is  a  derveesh."  "  A  der- 
veesh  !"  he  sneeringly  replied,  "  I  know  these  Frankee  derveeshes — 
I  know  these  English  derveeshes.  They  go  into  a  country,  spy  out 
mountains  and  valleys,  seas  and  rivers ;  find  out  a  convenient  adit, 
and  then  go  home ;  inform  a  gentleman  there — a  chief,  who  has  the 
name  of  Company,  who  sends  soldiers,  and  then  takes  a  country  ;  tell 
him  what  I  say."  After  this  he  left  the  garden. 

.Some  Calmucks,  also,  purposely  called  on  me.  They  are  also 
called  the  Eliad.  They  said,  "  We  come  to  see  the  renowned  Frankee 
derveesh."  They  are  of  a  yellow  colour ;  they  were  sitting  down, 
and  looking  at  me.  They  made  remarks  on  every  movement  of 
my  body,  which  amused  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  so  much,  that  he  laughed 
incessantly.  After  they  had  examined  me  from  head  to  foot,  he  ad- 
vised me  to  allow  them  to  pursue  still  closer  investigations,  which  I 
declined. 

Like  the  Hazarah,  they  have  scarcely  any  beard.  At  last,  one 
of  them  turned  to  a  Jew,  and  asked  him,  in  a  low  tone,  to  give  him 
brandy  and  wine.  They  addressed  me  in  Russian.  I  told  them,  in 
Persian,  that  I  did  not  understand  Russian,  and  asked  them  where 
they  had  learned  it.  They  replied,  "  From  the  Nogay  Tatars." 
Then  they  began  :  "  Have  you  heard  of  Nicholas  Pawlowitch  ?  he  is 
the  greatest  Krawl  Russia  has  ever  enjoyed."  They  asked  me 
whether  we  had  many  slaves  in  England.  I  told  them  that  slavery 
was  prohibited. 

My  rascally  servant,  Abdullah,  expressed  a  wish  to  go  from  Jesman- 
Doo  again  to  see  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  but  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  pre- 
vented him. 

An  extraordinary  power  of  smelling  in  a  Turkomaun,  Khan  Saat 
from  Sarakhs,  was  indicated  to  me  here.  He  said,  drawing  up  his 
nostrils,  "  I  smell  a  caravan  of  Usbecks  ;"  and  in  a  few  hours  a  car- 
avan from  Organtsh  arrived  full  of  them.  It  is  remarkable  how  the 
Turkomauns  know,  by  the  footsteps  in  the  desert,  the  person  who  has 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  277 

been  there,  nay,  the  very  tribe  of  TQrkomauns  that  has  passed. 
When  TQrkomauns  or  Cal mucks  see  people  talking  from  a  distance, 
I  frequently  heard  them  say,  "  Let  us  draw  our  ears."  They  then 
lie  down  on  the  ground,  and  hear  from  a  distance  what  even  two  per- 
sons  whisper  together,  and  relate  the  exact  conversation. 

Another  party  of  derveeshes  came  to  me  and  observed,  "  The  time 
will  come  when  there  shall  be  no  difference  between  rich  and  poor, 
between  high  and  low,  when  property  shall  be  in  common,  even  wives 
and  children." 

Suddenly  we  were  alarmed  by  Usbecks  coming  in  great  consterna- 
tion. I  was  afraid  that  an  order  had  been  issued  to  fetch  me  back  by 
the  Ameer,  but  they  reported  that  news  had  arrived  from  Tsheesakh, 
a  city  beyond  Samarcand,  that  Sheer  Ali  Khan,  the  present  King  of 
Khokand,  had  made  an  alliance  with  the  Girghese  and  Kasaks,  and 
had  even  invited  the  Russians  to  come  through  Khokand,  and  Sheer 
Ali  Khan  was  seriously  contemplating  a  march  against  Bokhara  to 
avenge  the  death  of  Muhammed  Ali  Khan.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  my 
friend,  spoke  to  me  at  Jesman-Doo  about  the  villany  of  Abdul  Samut 
Khan,  and  said  that  there  was  not  the  least  shadow  of  doubt  that  Ab- 
dul Samut  Khan  was  the  murderer  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain 
Conolly,  and  other  Europeans  ;  but  he,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  should  be 
sorry  if  Abdul  Samut  Khan  were  put  to  death  by  the  Ameer,  for  he 
might,  after  all,  be  of  service  one  day,  to  Persia,  on  a  contemplated 
attack  on  the  part  of  Persia  on  Bokhara ;  for,  as  Abbas  Kouli  Khan 
expressed  himself,  "A  fellow  like  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  (may  his 
father  be  burned !)  is  capable  of  turning  against  the  Ameer  when  he 
sees  it  will  be  to  his  advantage,  and  of  putting  him  to  death  with  as 
much  facility  as  he  did  Stoddart  and  Conolly." 

We  then  had  a  visit  of  a  mullah  from  Bokhara,  who  asked  me 
whether  Timur  was  much  spoken  of  in  England.  I  replied  in  the 
affirmative.  He  then  asked  me  whether  they  knew  of  his  daughter 
Agabeyk,  and  of  his  sister  Toorkan-Khatoon,  and  his  only  son  Je- 
haungeer.  The  death  of  these  people,  he  said,  made  Timur  weep, 
who  had  a  heart  of  iron,  and  never  wept  before.  They  are  buried  at 
Shahr  Sabz.  Thus  far  the  mullah. 

I  then  got  the  following  information  about  Shahr  Sabz.  It  is  a 
central  city  of  Bokhara,  but  separated  from  the  King,  independent, 
and  governed  by  its  own  Khan.  The  reason  of  it  is  this  :  1st.  The 
people  of  Shahr  Sabz  are  by  far  better  and  more  courageous  horse- 
men than  the  people  of  Bokhara.  2nd.  They  can  put  in  a  moment 
the  whole  town  under  water,  so  that  troops  cannot  reach  them.  3rd. 
It  serves  for  the  people  of  Bokhara  as  an  asylum  from  the  tyranny 


278  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

of  the  Ameer ;  and  therefore  the  people  of  Bokhara  do  not  wish  to 
take  it.  The  Khan  of  Shahr  Sabz,  however,  for  form's  sake,  sent  to 
the  Ameer  one  thousand  horsemen,  as  a  subsidy  in  his  war  against 
Khiva  and  Khokand,  but  they  were  always  ordered  by  the  Khan  of 
Shahr  Sabz  not  to  give  him  the  least  assistance  in  reality. 

From  Jesman-Doo  we  proceeded  to  Shahr-Islam,  the  city  of  Afra- 
siab. 

As  the  name  of  Afrasiab  is  not  familiar  to  the  generality  of  Eng- 
lish readers,  nay,  does  not  meet  even  with  insertion  in  very  extensive 
biographical  works,  we  shall  subjoin  the  following  particulars  of  that 
Sovereign.  He  was  the  ninth  King  of  the  Peshdadian  dynasty  of 
Persia.  He  was  by  birth  a  Turkomaun.  He  descended  from  Feridun, 
who  had  a  rebellions  son,  named  Tur,  and  sought,  like  Absalom  of 
old,  with  whom  some  think  he  was  contemporary,  the  kingdom  of  his 
father.  Frustrated  in  his  plots  against  his  father,  he  fled  to  Tartary, 
where  he  became  a  King.  Tur  had  a  son,  named  Peshang,  from 
whom  (though  this  point  is  not  quite  clear)  Afrasiab  descended. 
Ancient  Persian  authors  make  him  out  a  descendant,  in  some  way, 
from  this  Tur,  who  died  in  battle  against  the  Persian  Monarch,  Minu- 
chihr,  the  direct  descendant  in  the  male  branch  from  Feridun.  The 
incursions  of  Afrasiab  and  his  Tatars  during  the  reign  of  Peshang, 
compelled  the  Persian  King  Minuchihr,  to  sue  for  peace,  which  was 
granted,  the  Oxus  being  the  boundary  of  the  two  Empires.  Minu- 
chihr was  succeeded  by  Naudar,  an  unpopular  Sovereign,  against 
whom  Afrasiab  waged  successful  war.  Afrasiab  avenged  on  him  his 
grandsire's  wrong,  or  what  he  supposed  such  ;  and  Afrasiab  killed 
with  his  own  hand  the  Persian  King  Naudar.  Afrasiab  became 
King  of  Persia,  and  ruled  it,  like  Timur,  with  a  rod  of  iron.  The 
hero,  Zal,  the  glory  of  Persia,  rose  against  the  tyrant ;  he  defeated 
Afrasiab,  refused  the  proffered  throne  himself,  and  raised  the  legiti- 
mate branch  to  its  lost  seat.  Afrasiab  strove  undaunted  to  recover 
Persia  during  various  reigns ;  but  at  length  a  Persian  King  arose 
strong  enough  to  carry  the  war  home  to  the  Turkomaun  himself.  Kai 
Khosro,  after  a  severe  battle,  seized  on  the  palace  of  Afrasiab,  ulti- 
mately on  the  Turkomaun  Chief  himself,  and  put  him  to  death. 
Afrasiab's  name  being  the  most  famous  of  an  olden  dynasty,  repre- 
sents anything  very  aged  in  Persian  annals.  Afrasiab  has  been 
thought  of  as  high  an  antiquity  as  even  the  King  of  the  Deeves  and 
Afrits,  Solomon  himself.  We  ought  to  except  from  the  above  censure 
the  Biographical  Dictionary  published  by  Messrs.  Longman  ;  and  we 
can  refer  our  readers  for  further  particulars  to  Ferdousi,  and  Sir  John 
Malcolm's  work  on  Persia. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  279 

At  Shahr-Islam,  people  from  Cabal  crowded  around  me ;  they  were 
mostly  Guzl-Bash.  They  said  that  the  English  had  made  themselves 
enemies  by  various  things.  1st.  That  they  did  not  protect  the  Guzl- 
Bash.  2nd.  That  they  offended  Nawaub  Jabar  Khan,  brother  to 
Dost  Mu hammed  Khan,  their  friend  ;  and  3rd,  as  I  have  already 
stated,  by  the  customs  they  introduced. 

Morteza  and  Abdullah,  the  conspirators  against  my  life,  came  up 
to  me,  and  said,  that  the  bustle  on  leaving  Bokhara  was  so  great,  that 
I  should  do  better  to  quit  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  and  pitch  my  tent  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  him ;  and,  besides  this,  that  as  an  English 
Eljee  (for  thus  they  call  all  the  English),  I  was  a  greater  man  than 
either  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  or  any  one  else  of  the  caravan,  and  there- 
fore I  should  keep  aloof  from  them.  I  told  them,  "  I  know  your  vil- 
lany ;  you  have  not  to  prescribe  to  me  where  I  am  to  pitch  my  tent. 
I  shall  ride  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan." 

At  Shahr-Islam  I  observed  that  the  trunks  in  which  the  three  thou- 
sand tillahs  lay  were  somewhat  broken.  After  passing  Peikand, 
therefore,  and  arriving  at  Karakol,  I  bought  strong  cloth,  and  Mirza 
Abdul  Wahab,  the  Persian  who  painted  for  me  the  pictures,  and 
whose  description  of  my  sufferings  is  in  the  Appendix,  and  also  Haje 
Ismael  from  Yarkand,  assisted  me  in  folding  them  up  carefully.  And 
in  order  that  I  might  not  be  obliged  to  trust  the  trunks  to  Morteza,  the 
Chief  of  the  Kafila  (caravan),  I  bought  a  mule  at  Karakol,  in  order 
that  I  might  have  the  money  always  under  my  own  eyes.  We  stop- 
ped at  Karakol  two  days,  in  the  house  of  Shaker  Beyk — a  house 
which  belonged  to  the  King.  Hussein  Khan,  the  Governor  of  Kara- 
kol, had  sent  a  confidental  servant  to  me,  through  whom  he  apologized 
for  not  waiting  on  me ;  though,  as  he  expressed  himself,  "  his  heart 
and  soul  was  bound  up  with  my  heart  and  soul  thirteen  years  ago  at 
Karakol."  He  informed  me  that  I  was,  on  my  route  to  Meshed,  in 
as  great  danger  as  at  Bokhara ;  for  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  ever  thirst- 
ing for  blood,  and  the  greatest  scourge  which  Bokhara  had  ever  seen, 
had  hired  assassins  to  put  me  to  death  in  the  desert ;  and  these  assas- 
sins were  my  servant  Abdullah,  Morteza,  the  Kafila  Bashi,  Ibrahim 
Abbas,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  Ismael,  Rahim  Beyk,  and  others.  He  advised 
me,  therefore,  to  employ  the  four  Persian  slaves  who  had  succeeded  in 
leaving  Bokhara  with  me,  with  which  fact  he  was  aquainted,  as  they 
acknowledged  it  to  him,  as  sentinels  against  the  murderers ;  and  also, 
that  I  should  not  quit  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's  side.  I  must  here  observe, 
that  I  had  committed  at  Bokhara  a  great  mistake,  by  dismissing  Hus- 
eein,  for  though  a  great  rouge,  he  had  still  a  species  of  affection  for 
me,  since  he  had  accompanied  me  from  Meshed  to  Cabul  in  the  year 


280  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

1832,  and  was  a  check  on  Abdullah,  who  was  a  perfect  concentration 
of  all  the  rascality  of  the  East, — always  drunk  with  opium,  and  in- 
triguing ;  from  which  latter  defect  Hussein  was  not  wholly  free, 
of  which  point  I  give  the  following  illustration.  There  are  scorpions 
at  Bokhara,  and  a  person  who  lived  near  me  at  Bokhara  was  stung 
by  one  of  them.  Hussein  pretended  to  cure  diseases  by  saying  Duas 
(charms),  and  was  called  in  to  the  case, — I  do  not  know  with  what 
success ;  but  immediately  after  he  had  said  his  Dua,  he  went  to  the 
mosque,  and  intrigued  with  a  woman,  for  which  he  got  a  tremendous 
thrashing. 

On  my  arrival  at  Allat,  I  observed  that  Ameer  Sarog,  Abdullah, 
and  the  rest  of  the  hired  assassins,  were  around  my  mule  when  we 
had  pitched  our  tent.  The  day  following,  when  I  wanted  to  load  it 
with  my  trunks,  I  found  that  it  was  lame.  I  therefore  informed  Ab- 
bas Kouli  Khan  of  this  circumstance.  He  ordered  that  the  mule 
should  in  future  be  dragged  on  with  his  mules,  and  that  during  the 
night  time  my  trunks  should  be  watched  by  one  of  his  servants  placed 
at  my  disposal.  Haje  Ismael,  of  Yarkand,  perceiving  the  design  of 
the  villains,  slept  in  my  tent.  The  four  slaves  whom  I  saved  watch- 
ed them ;  Abdullah  and  Morteza  therefore  began  to  quarrel  with 
both  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's  servant  and  Haje  Ismael. 

We  marched  then  towards  Jehaar-Joo.  It  was  night.  The  whole 
of  the  caravan  lost  their  way.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  who  most  kindly 
held  the  ropes  of  my  horse,  in  order  not  to  lose  sight  of  me,  consigned 
me  to  the  care  of  his  brother,  Nujuf  Kouli  Khan,  in  order  that  he 
himself  might  look  out  for  the  road.  Then  Ismael  and  Morteza  tried 
to  push  him  away,  when  I  loudly  exclaimed  in  Persian,  "  Will  you 
commit  treachery  ?"  This  exclamation  made  the  principal  persons 
of  the  caravan  rally  round  me.  I  pointed  out  to  them  Ismael  and 
Morteza,  who  then  retired.  Towards  daylight,  Abdullah  came  up  to 
me,  and  said  to  Nujuf  Kouli  Khan  and  myself,  that  Abbas  Kouli  Khan 
had  ordered  that  I  should  remain  behind  and  await  his  return.  We 
observed,  that  this  was  a  lie.  We  traced  the  footsteps  of  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan's  horse,  and  soon  found  him.  He  was  anxiously  expect- 
ing me.  Abdullah  then  began  to  sell  the  greater  part  of  my  victuals 
to  the  ransomed  slaves.  We  arrived  then  at  Sayen,  and  stopped  in 
the  house  of  Ak-Sakal,  "  Lord  of  the  Beard,"  a  chief.  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan  sent  me  victuals  of  his  own,  for  he  heard  himself  that  the  assas- 
sins intended  to  poison  me.  It  must  be  observed  here,  that  at  Sayen, 
the  mighty  conqueror,  Hullakoo  Khan,  whose  name  is  still  in  the 
mouth  of  every  Usbeck  child,  encamped  with  his  army. 

Perceiving  that  I  was  continually  harassed  about  the  money,  I  said 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  281 

to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  "  I  will  open  my  trunks,  and  pour  out  the 
money  in  the  open  desert,  in  order  that  the  villains  may  be  satisfied." 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan  replied,  "  Give  me  the  money."  He  gave  it  into 
the  hands  of  Ali  Akbar,  his  treasurer,  and  made  the  people  believe  that 
he  had  sent  the  money  on  to  Meshed,  sealed  up,  by  a  Turkomaun. 
It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  though  the  Turkomauns  are  great  rob- 
bers, they  are  entrusted  by  merchants  with  money,  which  they  safely 
convey  to  the  owner,  provided  it  be  sealed.  The  assassins  soon  felt 
that  my  trunk  was  no  longer  so  heavy.  This  made  some  of  them  de- 
sist from  annoying  me,  but  Abdullah,  in  whose  horrid  countenance 
one  could  perceive  that  he  was  a  murderer,  and  who  did  not  blush  to 
say  that  he  had  murdered  two  people,  and  who  was  particularly 
charged  by  Abdul  Samut  Khan  to  take  away  my  life,  as  he  confessed 
at  Meshed,  did  not  cease  from  continually  annoying  me.  The  four 
slaves  whom  I  supported,  and  Haje  Ismael,  told  me  that  he  contin- 
ually observed,  "I  shall  kill  this  Kafir  by  irritating  him."  One  day, 
when  it  was  exceedingly  hot,  I  took  off  my  gown  and  gave  it  to  Ab- 
dullah. He  rode  away  from  me  with  it,  and  sold  it  to  Kaher  Kouli, 
and  said  he  had  lost  it. 


282  NARRATIVE   OF  THE   MISSION 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Arrival  at  Jehaar-Joo.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  calls  on  the  Caravan  to  protect  Dr. 
Wolff.  Bokhara  Ambassador  demands  Money  from  Dr.  Wolff.  Rafitak.  Bok- 
harese  Horsemen  from  the  Ameer  demand  Tribute.  Dr.  Wolff  disconsolate. 
Arrival  at  Ujaaje.  Mowr.  Caravan  declared  Prisoners.  Ameer  of  Bokhara 
orders  the  Turkomauns  to  release  the  Caravan  ;  they  refuse  to  obey ;  their 
Khaleefa  threatens  to  leave  them  if  they  injure  the  Caravan  ;  they  obey  him. 
Conversation  of  Derveesh.  Turkomaun.  A  Derveesh  tells  the  Story  of  Scan- 
derbeg.  Fakeers.  Sultan  Sanjaar.  The  Khaleefa  speaks  of  Ghengis  Khan. 
Khaleefa's  Son  speaks  ill  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  Tribe  of  Salor  best  of  the 
Turkomauns.  Ameer  Sarog  and  Kaher  Kouli  lay  a  Plot  to  murder  Dr.  Wolff; 
the  Khaleefa  frustrates  it.  Jews  aid  the  Khivites  against  Bokhara.  Joseph  of 
Talkhtoon.  Turkomaun  Tales  of  Sultan  Sanjaar.  Turkomauns,  in  despite  of 
Treaty,  kill  the  Messenger  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  The  Khaleefa's  Conversa- 
tion the  night  of  his  departure  with  Dr.  Wolff. 

ON  our  arrival  at  Jehaar-Joo,  I  learnt  that  Ismael,  Dil  Assa  Khan's 
man,  Kaher  Kouli,  Rahim  Beyk,  and  Ameer  Sarog,  with  some  others, 
would  come  in  a  body,  demand  money,  and,  if  I  did  not  give  it  them, 
would  put  me  to  death.  I  made  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  acquainted  with 
this  project.  He  summoned  the  conspirators  before  him,  and  the  prin- 
cipal people  of  the  caravan,  and  told  them  the  following  words :  "  The 
Englishman  that  I  have  under  my  care  purposes  to  escape  to  Khiva, 
for  these  people  intend  to  murder  him.  He  who  is  a  good  Mussulman 
will  join  me  to  protect  him  from  the  hand  of  every  rascal."  The 
principal  people  replied,  "  We  will  burn  the  father  of  the  first  rascal 
that  touches  him."  I  pointed  out  to  them  the  assassins;  they  pro- 
tested against  having  any  such  intention. 

It  was  awful  in  the  night  time  to  hear  from  the  tower  of  Jehaar-Joo, 
the  voice  exclaiming,  "  Watch,  watch,  for  the  people  of  Organtsh  may 
come,  kill  your  cattle,  and  destroy  the  child  in  the  mother's  womb." 
The  Governor  of  Jehaar-Joo  sent,  by  order  of  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara, 
fifty  men  on  horseback,  to  dig  for  water  at  Rafitak,  that  we  might 
not  experience  any  drought,  for  the  people  of  Merwe  had  filled  up  the 
wells,  that  the  people  of  Khiva  might  find  no  water.  During  our 
stay  at  Jehaar-Joo,  Ameer  Abul  Kasim,  the  Ambassador  for  Queen 
Victoria,  in  the  place  of  Ak  Muhammed,  who  was  the  first  nominated 
to  the  office,  incessantly  annoyed  me  with  requests  for  money ;  for 
he  said  Abdul  Samut  Khan  had  himself  stated  to  the  King  that 
he  had  given  me  three  thousand  tillahs  for  the  expenses  of  his  Ambas- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  283 

sador  to  England.  I  gave  him,  therefore,  some  money,  and  after  the 
horsemen  had  returned  from  clearing  the  wells  at  Rafitak,  we  left 
Jehaar-Joo. 

We  rode  two  nights  and  two  days,  without  ceasing,  from  fear  of 
the  Khivites.  The  agonies  I  sustained  on  horseback  I  cannot  describe; 
for  I  felt  that  the  fall  from  the  horse  at  Bokhara  had  produced  internal 
injuries.  The  nearer  we  came  to  Rafitak,  the  greater  was  the  con- 
sternation of  the  whole  caravan,  on  account  of  the  reports  that  reached 
us  that  the  King  of  Khiva  was  approaching,  and  Rafitak  is  a  rallying 
point  of  the  Khivites.  I  confess  that  I  should  have  been  glad  had  they 
arrived,  for  they  profess  a  friendship  for  the  English,  had  not  the  fol- 
lowing circumstance  damped  my  desire.  Ameer  Sarog  and  Kaher 
Kouli,  both  Turkomauns,  gave  me  candidly  to  understand,  that  the 
moment  the  people  of  Khiva  approached  the  camp  of  Rafitak,  they 
would  put  me  to  death,  and  escape  with  all  that  I  had  left  in  my 
trunk. 

At  our  arrival  at  Rafitak,  we  were  obliged,  in  spite  of  the  danger, 
to  remain  there  two  days,  for  horses,  mules,  camels,  and  men,  were 
too  tired  to  proceed  immediately.  On  the  very  day  of  our  starting 
again,  we  perceived  horsemen  from  a  distance  approaching,  and  a  cry 
from  all  sides  was  heard,  "  Organtshee,  Organtshee."  The  Khivites 
are  thus  called  by  the  people  of  Bokhara.  Neither  Ameer  Sarog,  nor 
Kahex  Kouli,  thought  of  killing  me ;  I  stood  fast  by  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan,  who  gave  orders  for  fighting,  while  Arneer  Sarog,  and  Kaher 
Kouli  ran  off  like  whipped  hounds,  but  Abdullah,  my  servant,  mounted 
a  horse  and  rode  towards  the  horsemen,  with  the  intention,  which  he 
afterwards  confessed  at  Meshed,  to  inform  them  that  a  Russian  Kasak 
was  among  the  people  in  the  caravan ;  and  also  Abbas  Kouli  Khan, 
an  Ambassador  from  Persia  to  Bokhara,  and  an  enemy  of  the  King 
of  Khiva.  But  on  the  approach  of  the  horsemen  we  perceived  that 
they  were  Bokharese  horsemen,  sent  by  the  Ameer,  demanding  two 
ducats  for  every  free-bought  slave  who  had  crossed  the  Oxus,  for  this, 
they  said,  was  an  ancient  custom.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  wrote  his  protest 
against  this  to  the  King  of  Bokhara. 

We  continued  our  journey.  My  mind  was  so  harassed,  and  the 
pain  of  my  internal  injury  so  great,  that  I  began  to  weep,  and  said, 
"  Oh  God,  I  know  that  I  shall  not  return  to  England  to  see  my  wife 
and  my  child."  To  my  greatest  astonishment  I  saw  that  horrid  fellow 
Abdullah  also  weeping.  A  derveesh  came  up  to  me  and  sung  the 
following  words,  from  the  famous  book  called  Masnawee  : 

Ham  Khoda  Khahe,  Ham  Donyae  Dun, 
Een  Khyal  ast,  een  Mohal  ast,  een  Jenoon. 


284  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

His  fancy's  wild,  his  mind  distraught, 
Who  casts  on  God  and  Earth  his  thought. 

We  arrived  at  Ujaaje,  near  a  river,  when  the  Turkomauns  conspired 
t^  stop  us,  which  was  prevented  by  some  of  the  tribe  of  Tekka.  Here 
it  was  where  Hullakoo  fought  a  battle  against  one  of  the  Kings  of  the 
Kharasms,  or  Organtsh,  and  defeated  him  completely. 
'•  Thence  we  arrived  at  Mowr.  The  noble  Khaleefa  received  me 
most  hospitably :  his  sons,  however,  imitate  ill  their  noble  father.  We 
were  all  (the  entire  caravan,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  included,)  declared 
prisoners  by  the  Turkomauns,  until  the  slaves  who  had  already  purcha- 
sed their  freedom  should  pay  nineteen  thousand  ducats  to  them.  A  mes- 
senger was  immediately  dispatched  to  Bokhara  by  night,  and  an  order 
soon  after  arrived  from  the  Ameer,  under  whose  protection  the  Turk- 
omauns of  Mowr  have  placed  themselves,  that  we  should  be  permitted 
to  depart  immediately,  and  without  molestation.  The  Turkomauns 
then  declared  they  would  not  obey  the  Ameer  ;  on  which  the  Khaleefa 
replied,  "  If  you  do  not  obey,  I  shall  leave  Mowr  and  settle  myself  at 
Heraut  and  give  you  my  curse."  This  had  the  Effect  required  ;  but 
they  conspired  still  to  smite  the  caravan  with  the  sword  on  the  road, 
and  they  compelled  me  to  pay  for  the  merchandize  on  eight  camels 
sent  by  the  Nayeb  to  his  brother,  Haje  Ibrahim,  at  Meshed,  for  they 
said,  "  Abdul  Samut  Khan  is  the  King's  right  hand." 

While  at  Mowr,  a  derveesh,  who  came  from  Samarcand,  related  one 
evening  to  the  people  of  the  caravan,  all  seated  on  the  ground,  the 
deeds  of  Timur,  also  called  Tamerlane ;  how  he  built  at  Sabz-Awar 
a  tower  of  the  skulls  of  men ;  of  his  defeating  Bayazid  ;  of  his  en- 
trance into  Samarcand  ;  of  the  festivities  of  triumph  which  he  gave 
at  Samarcand  ;  of  his  death  at  Atrar  when  just  on  the  point  to  march 
against  China. 

Whilst  he  thus  was  relating  the  deeds  of  Timur,  he  suddenly  broke 
off,  and  turning  to  me  he  said,  "  The  English  people  are  now  Timur, 
for  they  are  the  descendants  of  Ghengis  Khan.  The  Inglees  will  be 
the  conquerors  of  the  world.  On  my  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  I  came 
to  Aden,  where  they  keep  a  strong  force,  and  from  whence  they  may 
march  to  Mecca  whenever  they  please ;  and  march  towards  Mecca 
they  shall." 

A  Turkomaun  present  said,  "  The  Russians  shall  be  the  conquer- 
ors of  the  world.  They  have  now  built  a  strong  castle  almost  in  the 
midst  of  the  sea,  not  far  from  Khiva.  The  people  of  Khiva  have 
once  burnt  it  down,  but  they  soon  built  it  up  again.  All  is  over  with 
Islaam." 

A  derveesh  sitting  among  us  made  the  following  observation :  "  The 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  285 

great  mullahs  of  Samarcand  assert  that  Russia  is  the  Jaaj-Majooj,  i.  e. 
Gog  and  Magog,  and  this  has  been  already  predicted  by  Ameer  Sul- 
tan, the  great  derveesh  of  Room." 

To  my  greatest  astonishment,  the  derveesh  related  to  the  Tdrko- 
mauns  the  history  of  the  Apostacy  of  Iskandar  Beyk  from  Islamism, 
in  the  year  862  of  the  Hejira,  whose  name  was  first  Girgis  Kastrioota, 
but  who  received  for  his  valour  the  name  of  Iskandar  Beyk  from  Sul- 
tan Murad^  whom  he  forsook  and  turned  to  the  Europeans,  and  became 
a  scourge  of  the  Mussulmans,  and  put  a  stop  to  their  conquests.  From 
this  circumstance  one  may  observe,  that  there  are  still  clever  people 
among  the  derveeshes,  and  that  they  are  not  all,  as  described  by  Mr. 
Perkins,  a  set  of  useless  beggars.  The  derveeshes  and  Jews  preserve 
some  knowledge  of  religion  in  the  desert,  among  those  wild  Turkomauns, 
just  as  the  Christian  monks  preserved  the  Bible  in  the  middle  ages  in 
the  convents  from  the  destruction  of  the  Vandals,  and  as  the  monks 
in  Abyssinia  to  this  day  have  preserved  copies  of  the  Bible  in  their 
convents,  at  a  time  when  the  Gallas  inundate  the  country  of  Ethiopia. 
Ameer  Sultan,  Shams  Tabreezee,  Mullah  Roome,  Hafiz,  Saadi,  Per- 
dousi,  Abool  Kasem,  are  derveeshes  whose  names  will  only  be  forgotten 
when  the  Eastern  world  and  its  literature  shall  be  utterly  destroyed. 
The  same  is  the  case  with  the  Christian  monks.  I  need  only  mention 
the  names  of  Thomas  a  Kempis,  Taulerus,  Luther,  Gerson,  Sixtus 
Senensis :  these  will  be  in  everlasting  remembrance. 

There  was  also  in  the  caravan  a  Fakeer  from  Patna,  who  was  on 
a  pilgrimage  to  Russia,  where  the  Hindus  have  a  place  of  pilgrimage, 
the  name  of  which  I  have  forgotten.  He  told  the  Turkomauns  of  the 
deeds  of  the  British  nation  in  Hindustaun,  of  General  Lake  and  Lord 
Clive. 

Another  came  forward.  He  was  from  Scinde,  and  said,  "  There 
is  now  a  Governor  in  Scinde,  Lord  Napier  by  name,  who  is  like  light- 
ning flame.  He  has  beaten  one  hundred  thousand  Pooluj  with  foui 
hundred  men."  The  whole  caravan  exclaimed,  "  Allah,  Allah,  Al 
lah  !  They  certainly  will  come  here  ;  and  if  they  come,  we  submit 
at  once,  for  we  Turkomauns  will  never  fight  against  those  who  have 
the  upper  hand.  We  serve  the  most  powerful,  let  them  be  Hindus, 
Christians,  or  Mussulmans.  Those  who  give  us  khelaats  (robes  of 
honour),  and  tillahs  (ducats),  we  serve."  The  Khaleefa  of  Mowi 
observed,  "  God  rewards  integrity.  The  English  are  a  people  of  in 
tegrity,  and  therefore  God  rewards  their  integrity.  We  Turkomauns 
are  thieves,  and  therefore  God  is  displeased  with  us." 

The  Turkomauns  of  this  place  and  of  Sarakhs  formerly  provided 
the  King  of  Khiva,  as  they  do  now  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  with  horse- 


286  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

men,  called  Sawar,  or  Al-Aman,  horses  and  mules.  I  have  already 
alluded  to  Ezekiel  xxvii.,  and  shall  only  add,  that  the  Jews  call  them 
Togarmah,  and  the  Tarkomauns  give  themselves  a  similar  name. 

Near  this  place  we  meet  also  with  the  ruins  of  a  mighty  city,  called 
Sultan  Sanjaar,  from  a  King,  who,  according  to  Sir  John  Malcolm's 
account,  lived  A.  D.  1140.  He  was  the  greatest  of  the  Seljukian 
dynasty,  but  was  at  last  beaten  by  the  Tarkomauns. 

The  Khaleefa  of  Mowr  spoke  with  admiration  of  Hulakoo  Khan, 
grandson  of  Ghengis  Khan,  and  son  of  Tooli  Khan.  He  marched 
through  Mowr,  conquered  Organtsh,  and  at  last  Bagdad.  When  the 
Tarkomauns  of  Mowr  intended  to  plunder  us,  he  reminded  the  Turko- 
mauns, in  an  exalted  voice,  that  such  an  act  of  treachery  was  not  even 
committed  by  Ghengis  Khan. 

It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  the  son  of  the  Rabbi  of  Meshed  is  among 
those  Jews  who  became  Mussulmans,  and  turned  Turkomaun. 

The  Khaleefa  of  Mowr  showed  great  confidence  in  me,  by  recom- 
mending to  my  care  a  Haje  from  Khokand,  who  was  on  his  way  to 
Mecca. 

The  son  of  the  Khaleefa  called  on  me,  and  said,  "  Dil  Assa  Khan 
has  acted  a  treacherous  part  against  you  ;  but,  be  assured  that  he  has 
only  acted  according  to  his  master's  orders,  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  who 
is  the  most  dishonest  man  in  existence.  Three  years  are  passed  since 
he  has  promised  to  us  to  return  the  twenty  Turkomaun  prisoners,  and 
he  has  never  done  it.  There  is  no  faith  in  the  Kajar,"  by  which  he 
meant  the  members  of  the  Royal  Family  of  Persia.  However,  I  have 
no  just  reason  to  coincide  with  the  opinion  of  the  son  of  the  Khaleefa 
of  the  character  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  for  he  acted  always  uniform- 
i  ly  kind  to  me.  That  he  is  afraid  of  the  English  there  can  be  no  doubt, 
and  that  he  entertains  more  hope  in  the  assistance  of  Russia.  There 
is  no  doubt,  also,  that  he  will  declare  himself  King  of  Khorassaun 
after  the  death  of  Muhammed  Shah.  He  hates  the  Haje  with  all 
his  soul. 

The  best  class  of  Turkomauns  are  those  of  the  tribe  of  Salor,  who 
Dualled  on  me,  and  said,  "  When  Tod  was  at  Heraut,  and  Abbot  and 
Shakespeare  on  their  way  to  Khiva,  they  employed  us  frequently  to 
give  them  information,  which  we  willingly  gave  to  them,  for  Turkman 
perwa  nedarand."  The  Tarkomauns  do  not  mind  whom  they  serve, 
either  the  King  of  Bokhara,  or  the  Khan  of  Khiva,  or  the  Padishah 
of  Russia,  or  Dowlat,  ?'.  e.  the  Power,  by  which  they  mean  England. 
"  And  we  serve  you,"  they  continued,  "  if  you  pay  us  well."  I  was 
surprised  to  observe,  that  the  Turkomauns  and  people  of  Heraut  were 
aware  that  the  British  Government  disapproved  of  Tod's  departure 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  287 

from  Heraut ;  but  all  of  them  assured  me  that  Yar  Muhammed 
Khan  would  have  put  him  to  death  if  he  had  stopped  there. 

A  Tflrkomaun  of  the  Salor  tribe  brought  to  me,  to  the  house  of  the 
Khaleefa,  i.  e.  the  Grand  Derveesh  of  Mowr  or  Merve,  a  whole  cam- 
el's load  of  melons,  which  I  declined  accepting,  as  they  generally  de- 
mand ten  times  more  than  the  value  as  a  recompense. 

Ameer  Sarog  and  Kaher  Kouli  consulted  with  each  other,  and  de- 
termined to  bring  me  in  the  night  time  to  their  house,  and  then  to  con- 
duct me  on  the  road  to  Khiva,  and  murder  me  there.  I  informed  the 
Khaleefa  of  it,  who  placed  a  guard  the  whole  night  near  my  room. 

i  found,  to  my  greatest  surprise,  two  Jews  at  Merve  (Mowr)  who 
had  embraced  the  Muhammedan  religion,  and  become  Tarkomauns 
by  profession  and  pursuit. 

It  is  to  be  observed,  that  the  Jews  of  Mowr  call  the  inhabitants  of 
Khiva  Philistines ;  and  they  maintain  that  they  are  the  descendants 
of  the  Hiviies  of  old.  The  Jews  of  Khiva  intermarry  with  the  Mu- 
hammedans  at  Khiva,  whilst  the  respective  parties  preserve  each  their 
separate  religion :  a  great  proof  that  the  Turkomauns  and  Usbecks 
are,  with  regard  to  their  religion,  in  many  respects,  less  fanatics  than 
the  Muhammedans  in  Turkey  and  Arabia,  where  they  would  instantly 
put  to  death  both  husband  and  wife.  The  Jews  of  Mowr,  as  well  as 
those  of  Bokhara,  assure  me  that  the  Jews  residing  at  Khiva  are  so 
intimate  with  the  Turkomauns,  and  have  such  a  hatred  against  the 
King  of  Bokhara,  that  they  frequently  assist  the  Khivites  in  battle ; 
and  one  may  frequently  hear  among  the  Khivites,  when  attacking  the 
enemy,  the  war-cry,  in  Hebrew,  "  Rabone  Shel  Olam  /"  Lord  of  the 
World  ;  mixed  up  with  that  of  the  Tflrkomaun  war-cry,  "  Serenk  !" 
Brave ;  or,  "  Bismillahe  Arrahman  Arraheem  /"  In  the  name  of 
the  most  merciful  God.  The  Jews  of  Mowr,  as  well  as  those  of 
Bokhara,  assure  me  that  children  of  Israel  of  the  tribe  of  Naphtali 
and  Zebulun,  are  in  the  Hindfl  Koosh  among  the  Balkhwee,  and  live 
from  robbery  ;  and  they  know  the  exclamation,  "  Shama  Yisrael !" 
"  Hear,  Israel."  Ghengis  Khan  had  a  whole  corps  of  Jews  among 
his  troops. 

Joseph  of  Talkhtoon,  a  Jew  from  Meshed,  but  who  lived  among  the 
Tflrkomauns  at  Talkhtoon,  and  in  the  fame  of  sanctity,  returned  to 
Meshed  as  soon  as  the  event  of  Allah-Daad  had  taken  place  ;  became 
Muhammedan — took  his  wife  and  child — went  to  Candahar,  where  he 
again  returned  to  Judaism. 

The  Jews  of  Khiva,  Khokand,  and  Tashkand  visit  sometimes  the 
following  marts  and  fairs :  those  of  Makariev,  Orenbourg,  and  As- 
trachan,  in  Russia ;  and  go  even  as  far  as  Leipsic,  where  they  were 


288  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

justly  recognised  as  the  remnants  of  the  Ten  Tribes  of  Israel.  The 
Jews  of  Khiva,  Khokand,  and  Tashkand,  and  also  those  of  Heraut, 
sent  me  word  that  they  had  a  great  desire  to  see  me  in  those  places, 
in  order  to  speak  with  me  about  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  Several 
Jews  of  Heraut  spoke  to  me  with  great  regard  about  Majors  Rawlin- 
son,  Todd,  and  a  certain  Mr.  Loggin,  whom  I  have  not  the  pleasure 
to  know.  Singular  to  say,  Sir  Alexander  Burnes  told  the  Jews  of 
Cabul  that  I  was  dead. 

Here  also  are  found  coins,  with  Arabic  inscriptions,  of  the  time  of 
Sultan  Sanjaar,  of  whose  riches  the  Tttrkomauns  speak  wonders— of 
his  silver  thrones,  and  of  his  hundred  crowns  of  gold.  He  was  once 
defeated  by  the  inhabitants  of  Khetay.  He  resided  at  Merwe,  and 
governed  Khiva.  He  was  at  last  made  prisoner  by  the  people  of 
Khetay ;  he  escaped.  Derveeshes  till  this  moment  relate  in  melo- 
dious strains  the  deeds  of  Sanjaar. 

The  Turkomauns  here  I  found,  in  spite  of  the  treaty  with  the 
AssafF-ood-Dowla,  had  killed,  fourteen  days  before  our  arrival,  one  of 
his  messengers,  and  made  seventeen  Persian  slaves.  The  evening 
before  our  departure  from  this  place  was  the  only  agreeable  evening 
I  passed  in  it.  The  Khaleefa  then  supped  with  me,  and  I  conversed 
with  him  till  midnight  on  the  second  coming  of  Jesus,  and  on  the  day 
of  resurrection.  As  the  Khaleefa  had  been  informed  of  the  intention 
of  the  Turkomauns  to  plunder  the  caravan,  he  and  his  eldest  son  ac- 
companied us  two  days  through  the  desert  towards  Sarakhs,  and  left 
us  with  the  friendly  tribe  of  Tekka. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF  TO    BOKHARA.  289 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Tribe  of  Tekka.  Route— Olugh  Baba;  Sarakhs.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  ill-treated 
by  the  Turkomauns.  The  Turkomauns  demand  Robes  of  Honour.  Dr.  Wolff 
is  obliged  to  assume  Madness  to  preserve  himself  and  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  Turko- 
mauns demand  Tribute  again.  Taking  of  Sarakhs  by  Abbas  Mirza  in  1832.  Kho- 
jam  Shokoor  threatens  to  put  the  Caravan  to  Death.  Arrival  at  Mostroon.  Nasa- 
rieh.  Dil  Assa  Khan  disgraced  by  the  Assaff-ood-Dowl  a.  Gaskoon.  Meshed.  Dr. 
Wolff  seized  with  Illness.  Account  of  Meshed  ;  its  Rulers.  Letter  from  Colonel 
Sheil,  announcing  a  Subscription  to  the  Mission  of  three  thousand  Rupees  from 
Captain  Eyre.  Second  Letter  from  same,  announcing  a  Subscription  for  the 
same  Object  from  Cabul  Relief  Committee  of  ten  thousand  Rupees.  Dr.  Wolff 
never  received  these  Amounts.  Letter  from  Agra  Bank,  announcing  further 
Subscription  from  the  North-west  Provinces  of  India.  Third  Letter  from  Colonel 
Sheil.  Assaff-ood-Dowla  takes  Birjand.  Earthquake  at  Kayen.  Persian  Agents 
not  trustworthy.  Kind  Reception  at  Meshed  of  Dr.  Wolff  by  Hussein  Khan, 
Son  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  Hussein  Khan  wishes  to  punish  Dil  Assa  Khan. 
Dr.  Wolff  intercedes  for  him  on  account  of  his  Family.  Dr.  Wolff  gets  Abdullah 
bastinadoed  and  imprisoned.  Kindness  of  Mullah  Mehdee  to  the  English.  Vil- 
lany  of  a  German  named  Dieskau.  Mirza  Askeree,  the  Imaam  Jumaa,  calls  at 
Night  on  Dr.  Wolff.  Massacre  of  Allah-Daad.  The  Jew  Rahmeem.  Dr. 
Wolff's  Letter  to  the  Jews  of  Meshed. 

THE  tribe  of  Tekka,  spoken  of  in  the  last  chapter,  are  more  at- 
tached to  the  King  of  Organtsh  than  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  and 
therefore  the  people  of  Mowr  dared  not  pursue  us  here.  It  is  also  to 
be  remarked  that  the  tribe  of  Tekka,  with  the  tribe  of  Toora  Timur, 
remained  attached  together  to  the  unfortunate  Sultan  Sanjaar,  to  the 
last.  One  thing  was  unfortunate  for  me,  that  several  of  the  tribe  of 
Tekka  are  in  secret  understanding  with  Nayeb  Abdul  Samut  Khan, 
so  that  if  a  time  should  arrive  that  that  villain  will  be  obliged  to 
escape  from  Bokhara,  he  will  find  not  only  an  asylum  among  the 
Turkomauns  of  Tekka,  but  also  persons,  especially  one  Khan  Saat  by 
name,  who  will  assist  him  in  making  his  escape.  These  Turkomauns 
of  Tekka  knew  that  Abdul  Samut  Khan  was  my  enemy. 

We  went  from  Tekka  to  another  camp  of  the  same  tribe,  called 
Olugh  Baba,  and  then  arrived  at  Sarakhs.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  was 
so  ill  treated  by  them  that  the  poor  man  burst  into  tears,  and  said, 
"  If  ever  I  am  back  to  Persia,  I  will  perform  my  Siyarat  (pilgrimage) 
to  Kerbelay,  to  the  tomb  of  Imam  Husseyn,  and  thence  go  to  Mecca 
and  Medinah,  and  there  remain  with  my  wife  and  child." 

37 


290  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

On  our  arrival  at  Sarakhs,  the  Turkomauns  demanded  from  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan  and  myself,  Khelats  (robes  of  honour).  I  had  none  to 
give,  except  those  belonging  to  Conolly,  which  he  bought  as  presents 
for  chiefs,  and  which  I  gave  them.  Dil  Assa  Khan,  however,  com- 
bined with  Abdullah,  and  advised  the  Turkomaun  boys  to  hoot  me 
and  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  As  if  struck  by  inspiration,  I  suddenly  con- 
ceived the  brilliant  idea  of  playing  the  madman,  to  prevent  a  rush  of 
the  mob  on  us,  and  began  to  dance  about  and  sing  the  Persian  song, 

His  fancy's  wild,  his  mind  distraught, 
Who  casts  on  God  and  Earth  his  thought. 

Thinking  me  possessed,  they  called  out,  "  This  is  a  Dehli"  (a  possessed 
derveesh),  and  quitted  me  in  terror. 

Residence  among  these  lawless  tribes  convinces  me  more  than  ever 
that  there  cannot  be  worse  despotism  than  the  despotism  of  a  mob. 
There  is  nothing  in  my  eyes  more  detestable  and  calamitous  than  the 
attempt  of  a  foolish  and  unpolished  mob,  governed  by  maddening  in- 
fluences, to  sway  and  power.  Virtue  is  repeatedly  punished  by  them 
— vice  scarcely  at  all.  Savage  life,  with  me,  has  no  charms.  I 
have  always  found  the  savage  more  malicious,  deceitful,  and  cruel, 
than  the  beings  in  civilized  life,  whatever  fine  things  may  be  said  of 
the  virtues  of  the  desert.  What  is  the  savage  in  the  abstract  ?  The 
fearful  declension  from  a  purer  type,  not,  as  is  erroneously  supposed, 
the  early  element  of  man. 

Even  at  Sarakhs,  though  nominally  under  the  protection  of  Persia, 
the  Turkomauns  detained  us  again  for  several  days,  demanding  trib- 
ute, which  we  were  obliged  to  give ;  but  here  another  circumstance 
of  a  most  annoying  nature  happened.  The  Ambassador  of  the  King 
of  Bokhara  to  the  court  of  Persia,  Sabhan  Ullah  Beyk  by  name,  in 
union  with  his  co-Ambassador  for  England,  permitted  some  Turko* 
maun  chiefs  to  capture  those  slaves  that  had  purchased  their  liberty, 
and  to  again  enslave  them.  After  a  long  discussion,  they  were  out- 
voted by  some  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Turkomauns.  I  did  not  find  one 
single  Turkomaun  at  Sarakhs  of  those  who  inhabited  that  place  in 
1832.  On  my  way  to  Bokhara,  there  were  there  some  of  my  old  ac- 
quaintances of  1832,  but  on  my  return  they  were  all  gone  to  Yolatan, 
near  Mowr.  Thus  unsteady  are  the  movements  of  these  tribes* 

Abbas  Mirza  took  Sarakhs  in  the  following  manner,  in  1832.  He 
marched  with  his  army  towards  it,  but  sent  word  to  the  Turkomauns 
that  he  wished  to  treat  with  them,  and  therefore  they  should  send  to 
him  their  chiefs.  The  chiefs  came.  When  he  pretended  to  be  car- 
rying  on  negotiations,  he  ordered  the  chief  portion  of  his  army  to  ad- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF  TO    BOKHARA.  291 

vance,  and  His  Royal  Highness  himself  soon  followed.  When  he 
came  near  the  castle,  a  little  rivulet  obstructed  his  way.  General 
Borowsky,  the  Jew,  advised  Abbas  Mirza  to  divert  the  stream,  which 
he  did,  and  the  castle  was  taken,  with  the  assistance  of  one  thousand 
Russians,  by  the  address  of  Borowski.  The  greater  part  of  the 
Tflrkomauns  were  either  slain  in  battle  or  made  slaves.  Thus,  for 
the  first  time,  the  Tdrkomauns  experienced  the  same  calamity  which 
they  inflicted  on  the  Persians  ;  for  as  they  formerly  made  slaves  of 
the  Persians  in  Khorassaun,  Abbas  Mirza,  as  a  just  punishment,  en- 
slaved them  in  return.  Previous  to  the  arrival  of  Abbas  Mirza,  the 
Khans,  from  covetousness  and  policy,  gave  to  any  Tflrkomaun  who 
happened  to  be  made  prisoner,  his  liberty,  on  paying  a  small  sum  for 
his  ransom.  Thus  Abbas  Mirza  was  the  first  who  punished  the  rob- 
beries of  the  Turkomauns  with  just  retribution.  I  cannot  bear  the 
Turkomauns ;  they  are  a  covetous,  treacherous,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  stupid  class  of  people.  They  have  not  either  the  ability  of  the 
Arab  or  the  Kurd,  I  must  also  add  that  Mullah  Mehdee,  the  Jew  of 
Meshed,  and  the  Jews  of  Sarakhs,  were  of  essential  assistance  to  Ab- 
bas Mirza  in  his  stratagems  to  delude  the  Turkomauns.  I  must  also 
confess  that  I  am  sorry  that  our  Government  withdrew  the  British 
force,  consisting  of  Captain  Shee  and  five  Serjeants,  as  soon  as  Abbas 
Mirza  marched  against  Sarakhs ;  for  what  advantage  can  accrue  to 
the  British  Government  from  befriending  the  Turkomauns  at  the  ex- 
pense of  amity  with  Persia.  It  is  the  same  policy  which  was  for- 
merly pursued  by  the  European  Powers  with  regard  to  the  Barbary 
States.  I  think  it  is  time  that  Christian  Powers  should  pursue  a  line 
of  policy  consistent  with  principles  of  morality,  founded  upon  the  Gos- 
pel, and  not  follow  measures  founded  on  mutual  jealousy.  Would  to 
God  the  British  Government  would  appoint  everywhere  such  men  as 
Sir  Stratford  Canning  and  Lord  William  Bentinck. 

The  most  powerful  Aga  Sakal  of  the  tribe  of  Tekka  at  Sarakhs  is 
Khojam  Shokoor,  who  is  allied  with  the  King  of  Khiva.  He  threat- 
ened to  smite  with  the  edge  of  the  sword  the  whole  caravan,  if  they 
did  not  give  him  tribute,  after  the  other  Turkomauns  had  taken  it, 
The  place  is  divided  into  those  who  are  allied  with  Bokhara,  and  others 
with  Khiva. 

We  left  that  horrid  place,  and  arrived  at  Mostroon.  "  Thank  God  I" 
we  exclaimed,  "  we  are  on  Persian  ground."  Mostroon  is  situated 
upon  an  eminence,  with  a  castle  erected  there  by  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla 
of  Khorassaun,  for  the  purpose  of  watching  the  movements  of  the 
Turkomauns,  and  to  prevent  them  from  invading  Khorassaun.  Fifty 
soldiers  of  the  Merve  tribe  are  placed  there,  with  some  pieces  of  artil- 


292  NARRATIVE    OF  THE   MISSION 

lery.  About  ten  minutes  walk  distance  from  Mostroon  is  a  hot  well 
of  most  powerful  mineral  water.  If  this  place  were  in  the  hands  of  a 
European  power,  a  most  beautiful  Spa  could  be  made  of  it. 

From  thence  we  proceeded  to  Nasarieh,  a  place  containing  about 
twenty  houses,  and  six  farsangs  distant  from  Mostroon.  It  is  inhabited 
by  Mervee,  who  were  formerly  on  a  good  understanding  with  the  Turk- 
omauns,  and  assisted  them  in  making  slaves  in  Khorassaun ;  but  the 
Assaff-ood-Dowla  cut  off  the  heads  of  several  of  them,  and  then  they 
thought  better  of  it,  and  ga,ve  up  that  trade.  The  villain  Dil  Assa 
Khan  was  the  Chief  of  the  Mervee  at  Nasarieh,  but,  on  account  of 
his  treachery  towards  me,  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  has  deposed  him. 
From  Nasarieh  we  proceeded  to  Gaskoon,  a  village  of  two  hundred 
houses,  with  a  strong  castle;  we  slept  there  one  night.  Mullah 
Mehdee,  the  Jew,  came  from  Meshed  to  welcome  me. 

We  proceeded  the  next  day  towards  Meshed,  the  capital  of  Khoras- 
saun. Many  inhabitants  came  out  to  meet  me,  and  exclaimed,  "  Praise 
be  to  God  that  you  come  back  with  your  head  from  that  accursed  city, 
Bokhara  !  We  have  heard  how  shamefully  you  have  been  treated  by 
those  scoundrels,  Nayeb  Abdul  Samut  Khan  and  Dil  Assa  Khan.  The 
Assaff-ood-Dowla  has  sworn  by  God,  the  Prophet,  and  Ali,  to  burn  the 
father  and  wife  of  Dil  Assa  Khan  !"  Just. on  our  entering  Meshed  the 
Holy,  I  was  taken  with  a  most  violent  vomiting.  Before  I  enter  into 
details  about  my  reception  at  Meshed  the  Holy,  as  it  is  called,  I  must 
give  a  short  sketch  of  that  place. 

Meshed  was  formerly  called  Toos.  When  Imam  Resa  was  poisoned 
by  the  son  of  Haroon  Rasheed,  the  place  was  called  Meshed,  i.  e.  the 
place  of  martyrdom  ;  it  is  the  most  celebrated  place  of  pilgrimage  for 
the  Sheeah.  Muhammedans  of  that  sect  from  all  parts  come  to  per- 
form their  devotions  at  the  tomb  of  Imam  Resa,  over  which  a  most 
splendid  mosque  is  built ;  the  cupola  of  it  is  entirely  of  gold.  It  is 
visited  every  year  by  from  twenty  to  thirty  thousand  pilgrims.  It  is 
a  great  commercial  town,  and  caravans  go  from  thence  to  Heraut, 
Candahar,  Bokhara,  Isfahan,  Teheraun,  and  Tabreez.  The  town  is 
under  the  King  of  Persia,  but  he  has  but  little  influence  there.  It  is 
not  only  the  place  of  burial  of  Imam  Resa,  but  also  of  Haroon  Rashid 
and  his  son ;  also  the  great  poet,  Ferdousi,  the  author  of  the  Shah 
Nameh;  and  the  great  conqueror,  Muslem-Beyk,  at  whose  tomb 
Timur  performed  his  devotions.  It  was  conquered  by  Tamerlane, 
and  the  following  personages  are  the  real  rulers  of  the  place : 

1.  Alloyer  Khan,  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  or  Viceroy  of  the  Empire.  He  is  uncle 
to  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Persia. 


OF    T)R.    WOT/FT    TO    BOKHARA.  293 

2.  Mir/a  Askeree  Imaum  Jumaa,  Head  of  the  Mosque  of  Tnmum  Rosa,  and 
Chief  Mullah  of  the  Town. 

3.  Mirza  Moosa  Khan,  the  Metualli,  f.  e.  President  of  the  Mosque. 

4.  Mirza  Haje  Hashem,  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  Prayer  at  the  Mosque. 

5.  Minister  of  the  Police. 

These  direct  all  the  internal  affairs  of  and  around  Meshed  as  far  as 
Semnan.  In  order  to  give  some  idea  of  the  little  influence  the  King 
of  Persia  has  at  Meshed,  I  have  simply  to  note  that,  after  the  massacre 
of  the  Jews  had  taken  place  at  Meshed,  the  King  sent  a  commissioner 
with  an  order,  that  tho  perpetrators  of  the  crime  should  be  delivered 
and  brought  to  Teheraun.  This  order  was  disobeyed  ! 

On  my  arrival  I  met  Ali  Muhammed  Beyk,  Gholam  of  the  British 
Embassy  of  Teheraun,  already  there,  with  letters  from  Colonel  Sheil 
for  myself,  and  also  letters  from  India,  that  three  thousand  rupees  had 
been  collected  for  me,  which  I  never  received. 

On  this  subject  I  subjoin  the  following  kind  communication  from 
Colonel  Sheil : 

My  dear  Dr.  Wolff,  Tehran,  August  llth,  1844. 

A  messenger  is  on  the  point  of  going  to  Meshed,  and  gives  me  time  only  to 
tell  you  that  I  have  received  a  letter  from  Captain  Eyre,  in  which  he  informs  me 
that  three  thousand  rupees  are  at  your  disposal. 

You  can  draw  on  me  for  that  amount ;  but  I  beg  you  particularly  to  distinguish 
in  your  different  bills  on  what  account  it  is  you  draw.  This  is  necessary  for  my 
reimbursement. 

I  have  told  Agha  Abul  Kassim  to  deliver  to  you  this  letter  on  your  arrival  at 
Meshed  ;  for  I  cannot  venture  to  place  you  in  danger  by  sending  a  letter  to 
Bokhara. 

With  best  wishes,  believe  me, 

Yours  very  truly, 

JUSTIN  SHEIL. 

I  cannot  express  my  thanks  for  Lieutenant  Eyre's  great  kindness, 
for  I  refer  to  him,  indirectly  if  not  directly,  the  following  communica- 
tion from  Colonel  Sheil : 

Sir,  Tehran,  June  1st,  1844. 

I  have  the  honour  to  forward  to  you  a  letter,  which  I  have  received  to  your 
address  from  Captain  D'Arcy,  Secretary  to  the  Bombay  Cabul  Relief  Fund  Com- 
mittee, placing  at  your  disposal,  for  certain  purposes,  the  sum  of  ten  thousand 
rupees  (10,000  Rs.).  Your  drafts  upon  me  to  the  above  amount,  not  exceeding 
two  thousand  tomans  (Ts.  2000),  will  receive  the  attention  requisite.  And  I  have 
moreover  requested  Agha  Abul  Kassim,  a  merchant  at  Meshed,  with  whom  you  are 
acquainted,  to  afford  you  assistance  in  finding  purchasers  for  your  bills,  and  to 
answer  your  bills  on  him.  You  should,  however,  avoid  drawing  largely  on  this 
person  without  previous  communication,  as  his  means  may  be  inadequate  to  the 
payment  of  considerable  sums. 
Should  you  draw  upon  me  for  the  purposes  mentioned  by  Captain  D'Arcy,  I  beg 


294  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

you  will  keep  in  distinct  recollection  the  necessity  of  stating,  in  the  body  of  the  bill, 
that  it  is  drawn  on  account  of  the  Bombay  Cabul  Relief  Fund  Committee.  An 
omission  on  this  point  will  put  me  to  much  inconvenience. 

I  also  transmit  to  you  a  letter  from  the  Secretary  to  the  General  Committee  Cabul 
Relief  Fund,  authorizing  you  to  draw  upon  the  Sub-Committee  for  ten  thousand 
rupees  (Rs.  10,000).  I  am  inclined  to  conjecture  that  your  bills  on  that  Association 
would  not  be  saleable  in  Toorkestan,  or  even  at  Meshed,  and  I  am  not  aware  that 
the  Committee  has  made  any  other  adequate  arrangement  for  their  payment.  It  is 
therefore,  I  suppose,  requisite  that  in  case  of  necessity,  you  should  draw  bills  on  me 
for  the  above  amount,  not  exceeding  two  thousand  tomauns  (Ts.  2000).  And  I 
have  also  requested  Agha  Abul  Kassim  to  afford  you  such  assistance  as  may  be  hi 
his  power  in  the  disposal  of  your  bills.  I  shall  write  to  the  Secretary  of  the  General 
Fund  to  make  arrangements  for  answering  my  counter  bills. 

Should  you  draw  oil  me  on  this  account,  I  shall  be  equally  obliged  to  you  to  state 
distinctly  in  the  bill,  that  it  is  on  account  of  the  General  Cabul  Relief  Fund  Com- 
mittee. 

I  have  forwarded  these  letters  to  Mullah  Mehdee,  your  agent  at  Meshed,  directing 
him  to  transmit  them  to  Merve,  to  your  servant  Rejjeb.  But  I  have  told  Mullah 
Mehdee  not  to  send  these  letters  to  Bokhara  ;  for  however  useful  it  might  be  that 
you  should  receive  them  in  that  cjty,  I  fear  to  expose  you  to  what  I  believe  would 
be  great  danger,  by  rendering  you  liable  to  the  suspicions  of  the  Ameer. 
I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir, 

Your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

JUSTIN  SHEIL. 

I  think  it  right  to  add,  that  I  have  received  nothing  from  either  of 
these  Societies'  funds,  which  have  possibly  remitted  the  separate 
amounts  to  England  or  Persia.  Independent  of  these,  I  received  by 
the  Agra  Bank  1297.  15s.  4d.,  remitted  to  my  bankers,  Messrs.  Drum- 
mond,  of  which  I  subjoin  the  following  document : 

Agra  and  United  Service  Bank, 
Sir,  May  IQth,  1844. 

I  have  the  pleasure  to  advise  my  having  this  day  sent  to  Messrs.  Drummond 
and  Company,  Charing  Cross,  a  bill  for  129Z.  15s.  4d.,  being  amount  of  subscriptions 
of  officers  and  others  in  the  North  West  Provinces  of  India,  in  aid  of  the  benevolent 
object  you  have  undertaken. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Captain  V.  Eyre,  we  have  made  this  sum  payable  to  Colonel 
Sheil,  on  your  behalf.  He  will,  no  doubt,  be  able  to  advise  with  you  as  to  the  best 
mode  of  realizing  it. 

I  remain,  Yours  faithfully, 

H.  W.  I.  WOOD, 
Assistant  Secretary  for  the  Society. 

To  Colonel  Sheil  I  feel  deeply  indebted  for  the  safe  conveyance 
of  all  these  notices,  and  for  the  following  cautious  and  well-timed 
epistle  : 

My  dear  Sir,  June  Wth,  1844. 

As  a  matter  of  precaution,  lest  your  detention  at  Bokhara  should  be  prolonged 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  295 

on  other  pretexts,  I  have  despatched  a  letter  from  the  Shah  to  the  Ameer  regarding 
you,  to  be  forwarded,  in  the  event  of  there  being  any  necessity,  by  the  Assaf-ood- 
Dowlah,  to  Bokhara.  I  trust,  however,  that  this  will  not  be  required,  and  that  you 
are  already  within  the  Persian  territory.  It  will  be  very  satisfactory  to  me  to  hear 
this  intelligence,  for  until  then  I  shall  not  be  free  from  anxiety  on  your  account 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir, 

Very  truly  yours, 

JUSTIN  SHEIL. 
/ 

The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  was  just  gone  to  the  district  of  Kay  en,  in  the 
city  of  Birjand,  called  also  by  some  travellers  Burjund.  Ameer  As- 
saad  Ullah  Khan,  of  Kayen  or  Burjund,  was  the  only  Khan  who  re- 
fused submission  to  Abbas  Mirza,  and  now  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla. 
The  Assaff-ood-Dowla  marched  against  him  whilst  I  was  at  Bokhara, 
and  succeeded  in  taking  the  whole  district,  and  Burjund,  the  capital. 
An  earthquake  also  killed  thousands  of  the  people  of  Kayen. 

Now  to  give  an  idea  of  how  little  the  Persians  can  be  trusted  as 
agents,  I  have  just  to  state  the  following  fact.  Soon  after  my  arrival 
at  Meshed,  Aga  Abool  Kasem, — then  the  agent  of  Colonel  Sheil, — 
came  to  me.  I  was  then  with  Mullah  Mehdee,  and  surrounded  by  a 
great  number  of  Jews,  or,  as  they  were  now  called  by  the  Mussul- 
mans, Islam  Jadeeda,  New  Mussulmans,  as  Jews  in  Spain,  forced  to 
be  Christians,  are  called  Nuevi  Christian^  New  Christians.  Now 
Aga  Abool  Kasem  brought  with  him  a  Sayed,  and  introduced  him  to 
me  as  a  man  sent  as  a  secret  agent  by  Colonel  Sheil  to  watch  the 
movements  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla.  He  told  me  also,  that  his  (the 
Sayed's)  brother  was  sent  by  Colonel  Sheil  to  Kayen,  to  watch  the 
Assaff-ood-Dowla  there,  and  report  to  him  whenever  the  Assaff  in- 
tended to  attack  Heraut.  He  told  me  that  he  was  a  secret  agent  of 
Colonel  Sheil  in  the  presence  of  twenty  Jews  and  many  Mussulmans ; 
and  I  know  that  he  was  employed  by  Colonel  Sheil. 

The  following  circumstance  must  also  not  be  forgotten.  One  of  the 
chief  men  of  Yar  Muhammed  Khan  at  Heraut,  whose  name  I  have 
forgotten,  sent  a  man  to  Colonel  Sheil  with  some  presents  and  a  letter. 
Colonel  Sheil  gave  to  the  man  a  letter  for  Yar  Muhammed  Khan's 
chief  man,  and  a  spy-glass  as  a  present.  The  messenger  came  to 
me,  and  wished  actually  to  sell  to  me  the  spy-glass  consigned  to  his 
care  by  Colonel  Sheil  to  deliver  it  to  the  man  of  Yar  Muhammed 
Khan,  called  Mirza  Nujuf  Khan ;  and  though  the  fellow  had  returned 
from  Teheraun  to  Meshed  when  I  arrived  at  Meshed  on  my  way  to 
Bokhara,  he  never  proceeded  to  Heraut,  but  was  still  at  Meshed  on 
my  return,  and  never  had  delivered  either  Colonel  Shell's  letter  or 
spy-glass. 

As  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  was  not  there,  his  son  Hussein  Khan  re- 


296  NARRATIVE    OF    THE   MISSION 

ceived  me  very  kindly,  and  delivered  to  me  a  letter  from  his  father, 
who  made  a  thousand  apologies  for  having  sent  with  me  a  man  like 
Dil  Assa  Khan,  and  desired  me  to  order  any  punishment  which  I 
liked  to  inflict  upon  him,  and  placed  him  immediately  in  irons,  but  as 
Dil  Assa  Khan  had  a  wife  and  children,  I  interceded  for  him ;  but  I 
got  instantly  put  into  irons  my  servant  Abdullah,  bastinadoed  and  sent 
to  prison  for  forty  days ;  for  he  threatened  to  come  after  me,  and  that 
he  would  not  rest  until  he  had  accomplished  the  pledge  he  gave  to 
Abdul  Samut  Khan,  to  put  me  to  death,  adding  these  words :  "  God 
burn  the  father  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  for  his  care  and  solicitude  about 
the  Kafir,  which  prevented  me  from  killing  him  on  the  road." 

Though  I  had  assigned  a  house  to  me  by  Hussein  Khan,  the  Gov- 
ernor, I  stopped  with  Mullah  Mehdee,  who  has  always  shown  himself 
a  friend  to  me  and  all  the  English  nation ;  and  this  kind  Jew  was, 
during  the  invasion  of  the  English  in  Affghanistaun,  employed  by 
Major  Rawlinson  at  Candahar,  and  Major  Todd  at  Heraut,  and  suf 
fered  repeatedly  for  his  attachment  to  our  people.  In  proof  of  it  I 
record  the  following  fact. 

A  German  from  Hamburgh,  named  Dieskau,  came  from  India  tc 
Meshed,  pretending  to  be  an  English  ambassador.  Mullah  Mehdee 
lent  him  twelve  hundred  ducats,  with  which  the  rascal  escaped.  The 
fact  is  known  to  Sir  John  Me  Neill,  Colonel  Farrant,  and  Colonel 
Sheil,  and  to  the  Governor-General  of  India. 

Mirza  Askeree,  the  Imaum  Jumaa,  or  chief  of  the  mosque,  called 
on  me  in  the  night  time,  for  I  was  exceedingly  unwell.  He  made  me 
a  present  of  a  turquoise  ring.  He  said,  "  I  was  suspected  by  Muham- 
med  Shah  (King  of  Persia)  to  be  too  partial  to  England,  and  he  there- 
fore invited  me  to  appear  at  Teheraun.  I  obeyed  the  summons,  but  I 
could  drive  out  the  Kajar,  i.  p.  the  present  dynasty  of  Persia,  from 
Meshed  whenever  I  please."  I  besought  him  to  protect  the  Jews,  and 
not  to  allow  the  Muhammedans  to  carry  on  against  them  a  regular 
system  of  inquisition.  Mirza  Askeree  is  very  fond  of  money,  and  af- 
ter receiving  a  few  tomauns  from  a  Jewish  family,  he  allowed  a  con- 
siderable number  of  them  to  emigrate  to  Heraut,  Yazd,  and  Teheraun, 
where  they  live  again  as  Jews.  How  affecting  it  is  to  look  at  the 
Jews  of  Meshed.  I  saw  the  poor  old  women  go  about  continually,  ex- 
claiming, "Allah-Daad!  Allah-Daad!"  God  has  given!  God  has 
given  !  the  exclamation  used  by  the  Saye'd  to  excite  the  populace  to 
murder  the  Jews  of  Meshed. 

On  my  second  arrival  I  heard  more  fully  the  history  of  the  massacre 
of  the  Jews.  The  Jews  for  centuries  had  settled  there  from  the  cities 
Casween,  Rasht,  and  Yazd.  They  were  distinguished  advantageous. 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  297 

ly  by  their  cleanliness,  industry,  and  taste  for  Persian  poetry.  Many 
of  them  had  actually  imbibed  the  system  of  the  Persian  Suffees.  We 
heard  them,  instead  of  singing  the  Hymns  of  Zion,  reciting  in  plain- 
tive  strains  the  poetry  of  Hafiz  and  Ferdousi,  and  the  writings  of  Mas- 
nawee.  They  had  accumulated  great  riches,  and  did  not  busy  them- 
selves  in  propitiating  the  authorities  of  Meshed  by  occasional  presents. 
Their  wealth  had  long  excited  the  cupidity  of  the  people  of  Meshed, 
who  only  sought  an  opportunity  to  seize  on  their  possessions.  The 
following  occasion  presented  itself,  which  enabled  them  to  realize  this 
object. 

In  the  year  1838,  the  Muhammedans  celebrated  the  feast  of  Bairam. 
On  that  very  day  a  Jewess  slaughtered  a  dog  at  the  advice  of  a  Mus- 
sulman physician,  for  the  purpose  of  washing  with  the  blood  of  the  dog 
her  own  hands.  One  of  the  Mussulman  Sayeds,  who  heard  it,  and  to 
whom  the  Jews  previously  had  refused  a  present,  called  together  all 
the  Mussulmans  in  the  mosque  of  Imam  Resa,  and  addressed  them  in 
the  following  manner :  "  People  of  Muhammed  and  Ali,  the  Jews  have 
derided  our  feast  of  Bairam  by  sacrificing  on  the-  very  day  of  our  feast 
a  dog.  I  shall  now  tell  you  in  two  words  what  must  be  done.  Allah- 
Daad"  which  means,  God  has  given.  They  took  the  allusion,  and 
whilst  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  the  Mirza  Askeree,  the  Imaum  Jumaa, 
and  the  rest  of  the  authorities,  were  sleeping,  the  whole  populace 
shouted  "  Allah-Daad,"  and  with  the  shout  of  Allah-Daad  they  rushed 
into  the  houses  of  the  Jews,  slew  thirty-five  of  them,  robbed  and  plun- 
dered their  property,  and  the  rest  of  them  saved  their  lives,  but  not 
their  property,  by  reciting  the  Muhammedan  creed.  Only  a  few  of 
them  preferred  death  to  apostacy.  Mullah  Daoud  Cohen,  the  Chief 
Rabbi  and  High  Priest  of  the  Jewish  nation  at  Meshed,  gave  the  first 
example  of  apostacy.  The  year  in  which  this  event  happened  still 
goes  by  the  name  of  Allah-Daad  both  among  Jews  and  Muhammedans. 
In  secret  they  observe  the  Jewish  religion,  and  tell  their  children  not 
to  forget  the  event  of  Allah-Daad. 

There  is  a  Jew  here,  Rahmeem  by  name,  whom  I  knew  in  former 
times.  He  was  not  only  learned  in  Jewish  learning,  but  also  in  Per- 
sian literature,  and  rather  given  to  the  system  of  the  SoufFees.  When 
he  saw  the  Jews  massacred,  and  the  shout  of  "  Allah-Daad"  became 
universal,  he  turned  Muhammedan  with  the  rest,  but  soon  after  was 
struck  with  madness.  The  word  of  "  Allah-Daad"  struck  him  with 
consternation ;  he  tears  his  clothes,  and  runs  about  in  the  streets,  and 
the  only  word  he  utters  is  "  Allah-Daad  !"  I  asked  him,  "  Rahmeem, 
if  I  give  you  a  suit  of  clothes,  will  you  wear  them  ?"  "  Yes."  I 
gave  him  a  suit  of  clothes ;  the  next  day  he  tore  them  into  pieces,  ex- 


298  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

claiming,  "  Allah-Daad !     When  my  mosque  shall  be  built  I  will  wear 
clothing.     Now  Allah-Daad  !  Allah-Daad !" 

Whilst  I  was  with  the  Jews  at  Meshed,  the  time  came  that  the  Jews 
commemorate  their  day  of  Atonement.  The  poor  women  and  the  old 
Jews  fasted  in  secret.  The  Mussulmans  were  informed  by  those  Jews 
who  had  been  real  apostates  to  the  Muhammedan  faith,  and  who  vol- 
untarily embraced  that  faith  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  previous  to 
the  event  of  Allah-Daad,  that  the  Jews  converted  in  the  year  of  Al- 
lah-Daad were  Jews  in  secret.  Whilst  I  was  with  them  the  servant 
of  Mirza  Sayd  Askeree,  the  Imaum  Ajooma,  entered  the  house  of  a 
Jew  in  the  evening  time,  in  order  to  find  out  whether  they  celebrate 
the  day  of  Atonement.  I  was  informed  of  the  fact,  and  sent  him  word 
to  leave  immediately  the  house  of  the  Jews,  which  he  did.  The  next 
morning  I  wrote  to  the  Imaum  Ajooma  a  serious  letter,  and  gave  him 
to  understand,  that  most  of  the  European  powers  take  an  interest  in 
the  condition  of  the  Jews,  and  told  him  that  he  would  make  himself  an 
immortal  name  if  he  would  protect  the  Jews;  which  he  promised  to 
do.  I  wrote  the  following  appeal  to  the  Jews  of  Meshed,  which  was 
copied  by  them,  and  sent  by  them  to  the  Jews  of  Heraut,  Mazander- 
aun,  Yazd,  Ramadan,  and  others.  The  appeal  was  as  follows  : 

My  dear  Brethren, 

I  knew  you  fourteen  years  ago ;  a  long  time  before  the  event  of  Allah-Daad 
took  place.  You  were  kind  to  me,  and  administered  to  me  the  rites  of  hospitality ; 
and  therefore  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you  does  not  proceed  from  any  feeling  of  hos- 
tility and  ill-will,  but  from  a  feeling  of  affection,  regard,  and  compassion  towards 
you :  and  what  I  am  going  to  tell  you  is,  that  you  had  but  little  feeling  for  true  re- 
ligion— of  that  religion  which  teaches  the  Shah,  the  sage,  and  the  philosopher,  to 
look  up  to  the  Creator,  the  Lord  of  the  world,  with  confidence,  like  a  sucking  child 
to  the  mother  while  it  rests  upon  her  knees, — and  which  teaches  the  philosopher  to 
exclaim  with  child-like  simplicity,  Abba,  Father !  You  had  little  feeling  for  that  re- 
ligion which  teaches  us  that  all  around  us  is  desert  if  our  spirit  does  not  look  towards 
heaven.  You,  like  the  Sooffees  of  the  Persians,  whom  many  of  you  worshipped, 
studied  history  and  nature  without  reference  to  religion,  unmindful  that  nature  and 
history  are  only  enigmas,  which  can  only  be  solved  by  the  knowledge  of  true  relig- 
ion. You  wallowed  about  in  the  sensual  poems  of  Hafiz,  and  Youssuf  and  Zuleika, 
and  forgot  Moses  and  the  Prophets.  You  were  totally  void  of  faith,  which  is  the 
element  of  all  human  knowledge  and  activity.  You  despised  Moses  and  the  Proph- 
ets, and  walked  in  the  ways  of  the  Gentiles.  God,  therefore,  gave  you  up  to  them 
in  his  righteous  indignation ;  and  those  very  people  in  whom  you  placed  your  entire 
confidence,  have  been,  as  you  told  me  yourselves,  the  first  who  not  only  forsook  you 
but  plundered  you.  Return,  therefore,  to  the  Lord  your  God,  with  weeping,  sorrow, 
and  contrition  of  heart.  Search  the  Scriptures,  which  will  lead  you  to  Him  who, 
though  He  was  rejected  by  the  Jews  as  the  brethren  of  Joseph  rejected  their  brother, 
and  as  the  children  of  Israel  rejected  Moses  in  the  beginning, — was  nevertheless  the  son 
of  David  according  to  the  flesh,  and  the  Jehovah  our  Righteousness  according  to  the 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  299 

Spirit.  He  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities,  and  despised  and  rejected  of  men,  and  was 
cut  off  from  the  land  of  the  living ;  but,  after  there  shall  have  been  overturnings, 
overturnings,  overturnings  of  empires, — He  shall  bring  you  into  the  wilderness,  and 
there  He  will  plead  with  you  face  to  face,  like  as  He  pleaded  with  your  fathers  in 
the  wilderness  of  the  land  of  Egypt.  Those  days  of  Egypt,  my  dear  friends,  and 
the  events  which  took  place  in  those  days,  are  typical  of  those  days  and  events  which 
shall  take  place  when  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who  is  the  real  son  of  David,  shall  come 
the  second  time  to  redeem  not  only  Israel,  but  also  accomplish  all  the  promises  to 
the  Gentiles.  Mighty  events  shall  soon  take  place  ;  and  you  have  already  had  a 
forewarning  of  the  sufferings  which  shall  come  upon  you  in  the  event  of  Allah-Daad, 
until  you  shall  look  on  Him  whom  you  have  pierced,  and  mourn.  Then  you  shall 
enter  into  the  Land  of  Promise  ;  but  you  must  repent  first  of  your  sins,  and  be  con- 
verted, that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out  when  the  days  of  refreshing  shall  come 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord. 

I  advise  you,  however,  in  the  first  instance,  to  write  to  Sir  Moses  Montefiore,  who 
will  give  you  every  assistance  in  his  power,  in  order  to  bring  you  out  of  your  present 
distressed  condition. 

JOSEPH  WOLFF. 


300  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Dissent  among  the  Mussulmans.  Saye'd  asserts  Pilgrimages  to  be  unnecessary. 
Imaum  Resa  killed  by  Haroun  Rashid.  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  calls  on  Dr. 
Wolff;  Dr.  Wolff  charges  him  with  Neglect  in  not  delivering  the  Letters  of  Sir 
Moses  Montefiore  and  the  Sultan ;  Muhammed  Ali  Serraf  shows  a  Letter  from 
Colonel  Sheil  to  justify  his  Conduct.  Date  of  the  Execution  of  Colonel  Stoddart 
and  Captain  Conolly.  Argument  for  1258  Hejirah ;  1259  the  right  Date.  Dr. 
Wolff  regrets  that  the  Sufferings  of  the  Officers  should  have  been  so  protracted, 
but  cannot  come,  on  reflection,  to  any  other  Conclusion  than  1259  Hejirah,  1843 
A.D.  Character  of  Colonel  Sheil.  Evil  of  appointing  Envoys  that  are  not  of  the 
Established  Church.  Singular  Conduct  of  Colonel  Sheil.  Letter  from  the  Assaff- 
ood-Dowla.  Christian  Missions.  Stations  for  them  recommended  at  Semnaan, 
Damghan,  Nishapoor,  Meshed,  Hasrat-Sultan,  Tashkand,  Shamay,  Yarkand, 
Cashgar,  Eele,  Thibet,  and  Cashmeer ;  not  at  present  at  Bokhara.  Khokand, 
Cashmeer,  Ladack,  and  Lassa.  Languages  requisite :  Arabic,  Persian,  Turkish, 
Chinese,  Hindustanee,  Hebrew,  and  Kalmuck.  Sciences  and  Arts.  Conduct 
required  in  a  Missionary.  The  Character  of  a  Missionary.  Dialogue  between 
Dr.  Wolff  and  a  Sooffee.  Ameer  Beyk,  the  Daoodee.  Route — Askerea ;  Shereef 
Abad ;  Kadam-Gah  ;  Nishapore  ;  Sabz-Awar.  Curious  Report  circulated  there, 
at  the  first  Visit  of  Dr.  Wolff,  that  he  was  two  hundred  years  old,  and  acquainted 
with  all  the  Sciences  of  the  Earth.  Visited  the  second  time  by  Crowds  who  con- 
ceived he  had  predicted  the  recent  Earthquake.  Route — Massanan;  Abbas 
Abad ;  Miyandasht ;  Miyamey.  Dr.  Cormick  died  at  Miyamey.  Death  of  Abbas 
Mirza.  Illness  of  Dr.  Wolff.  Conversation  between  Sabhan  Ullah  Khan  and  Dr. 
Wolff.  Route — Shah  Rood ;  Deh-Mullah ;  Damghan ;  Dowlat  Abad ;  Aghwan ; 
Semnan ;  Lasgird ;  Deh  Namak ;  Pah-Deh ;  Kish-Lagh.  Arrival  at  Teheraun. 
Hospitable  Reception  by  Colonel  Sheil.  Monsieur  Le  Comte  Sartiges. 

IT  is  remarkable  that  dissenters  in  doctrine  are  now  prevailing 
largely  in  the  Muhammedan  religion.  A  Saye'd  at  Meshed  began  to 
teach  that  the  Koran  was  quite  enough,  and  pilgrimages  unnecessary. 
This,  in  the  great  city  of  Imaum  Resa,  was  extraordinary  doctrine. 
This  Imaum  Resa  was  the  eighth  of  the  twelve  Imaums  descended 
from  Muhammed.  He  was  killed  at  Meshed  by  the  son  of  Haroun 
Rashid,  by  a  poisoned  grape.  Beside  Imaum  Resa,  there  is  here  in- 
terred Aboo  Mosleem,  the  fiercest  of  all  the  conquerors  of  the  Islam 
faith.  A  strong  cry  of  heresy  was  raised  against  this  Saye'd,  but 
Mirza  Askeree  protected  him.  A  fierce  schism  now  prevails  among 
the  Sheeahs  at  Meshed. 

Muhammed  Ali  Serraf,  Colonel  Stoddart's  agent,  called  on  me 
again  on  my  return.  I  reproached  him  for  not  having  forwarded  the 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  301 

letters  of  Sir  Moses  Montefiore  and  the  Sultan  from  Colonel  Shell. 
He  showed  me,  for  his  own  justification,  a  letter  from  Colonel  Sheil, 
in  which  he  distinctly  wrote  to  him  that  he  should  not  forward  the  let- 
ters by  an  express  messenger,  but  by  some  other  opportunity.  Colonel 
Sheil  must  have  had  peculiar  reasons  for  giving  him  these  instruc- 
tions, of  which  I  am  not  aware.  He  may  have  leaned  to  the  convic- 
tion, that  both  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly  were  executed  in 
the  year  1258  Hejirah,  or  A.  D.  1842. 

I  shall  now  give  further  details  of  this  date  question.  Both  the 
Nayeb  and  the  King  gave  as  the  date,  Sarratan,  1259,  and  after  I  had 
sent  away  the  letter  written  to  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Committee, 
by  order  of  the  King,  in  which  this  date  was  mentioned,  Nayeb  Ab- 
dul Samut  Khan  repeated  again  1259  ;  but  counting  the  months  since 
their  death  brought  it  to  twenty  months  instead  of  twelve.  He  num- 
bered them  on  beads,  as  all  the  Persians  do.  I  then  said,  "  If  twenty 
months  have  elapsed,  the  event  must  have  taken  place  in  the  year 
1258,"  for  1260  had  just  begun.  The  Nayeb  then,  after  reflection, 
said  with  some  hesitation,  "  Yes,  you  are  right,  and  both  the  King  and 
I  were  mistaken."  I  think  it  also  fitting  to  add  here,  that  I  have  my 
doubts  whether  the  Nayeb  did  not  desire  to  confuse  the  matter,  for  it 
may  yet  be  a  serious  matter  to  him.  I  then  asked  several  at  Bokhara 
about  the  date,  among  others  Saadat,  and  they  gave  1258.  Thus 
much  may  be  said  in  favour  of  1258,  and  that  was  my  impression  in 
my  excited  state  at  Teheraun.  But  Haje  Ibrahim,  before  my  arrival 
at  Bokhara,  told  me  distinctly  that  the  letter  of  Lord  Ellenborough 
had  arrived  previous  to  the  execution  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Cap- 
tain Conolly.  Now  I  counted  at  Bokhara  the  date  of  Sir  R.  Shaks- 
peare's  note,  which  accompanied  Lord  Ellenborough's  letter,  and  that 
note  was  written,  I  well  remember,  only  one  year  before  my  arrival. 
Now  Haje  Ibrahim  would  not  have  said  that  Lord  Ellenborough's  let- 
ter arrived  before  their  execution,  if  it  had  not  actually  been  the 
ease  ;  and  adding  to  this,  that  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  as  will  be  seen  af- 
ter my  leaving  Teheraun,  decidedly  said  to  me  that  they  had  been 
put  to  death  only  eleven  months  before  my  arrival ;  and  besides  that, 
the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  also,  on  my  going  to  Bokhara,  told  me  the  same 
thing  ;  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  year  1259  is  the  most  probable, 
for  though  the  Nayeb  had  not  delivered,  as  I  fully  believe,  the  letter 
of  Lord  Ellenborough  to  the  King,  he  (the  Nayeb)  yet  received  it  be- 
fore their  death,  and  suppressed  it  from  the  fear  of  consequences  to 
himself. 

I  much  wish  I  could  revert  to  my  old  conclusion,  since  it  would  be 
more  satisfactory  to  the  painful  feelings  of  many  dear  friends  to  learn, 


302  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

that  the  misery  of  the  unfortunate  sufferers  had  not  extended  over  so 
protracted  a  period  of  time,  that  the  account  of  the  Akhund-Zadeh 
were  exact ;  since  to  reflect  on  two  British  officers,  reduced  to  so  hor- 
rible a  state  that  the  flesh  was  gnawed  from  their  bones  in  large 
masses  by  vermin,  with  the  fearful  sufferings,  mental  and  bodily,  that 
they  must  have  undergone  by  the  slow  operation  of  the  atrocious  tyr- 
anny practised  upon  them  at  the  instigation  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan, 
excites  an  intensity  of  feeling  on  my  part  almost  maddening,  and  can- 
not produce  an  inferior  feeling  among  those  of  their  own  flesh  and 
blood. 

And  here  let  me  take  the  opportunity  to  add  a  few  words  on  the 
character  of  Colonel  Sheil.  He  is  evidently  a  gallant  and  honourable 
officer,  who  would  serve  his  Queen  with  his  blood  ;  but  his  reserved 
disposition  must  prove  painful  to  many.  I  once  remarked  this  to  the 
gentlemen  of  the  Embassy :  "  Colonel  Sheil  has  not  that  pleasing 
communicativeness  which  is  so  conspicuous  in  Sir  Stratford  Canning.'* 
The  answer  I  received  was,  that  "  I  ought  to  consider  that  Sir  Strat- 
ford Canning  was  Ambassador,  and  Colonel  Sheil  only  Charge  d'Af- 
faires."  I  am  also  convinced  that  he  will  give  protection  to  British 
subjects,  and  to  Protestants  in  general,  as  far  as  his  religious  princi- 
ples allow  him,  for  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic.  As  an  instance,  I  men- 
tion the  following  fact.  The  American  missionaries,  who  have  been 
always  under  English  protection,  received  the  greatest  hospitality  from 
Colonel  Sheil,  but  when  they  came  in  conflict  with  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic missionaries,  though  he  believed  the  Protestant  missionaries  to  be 
in  the  right,  he  candidly  told  them  that  he  could  not  interfere,  for  he 
was  a  Roman  Catholic.  This  is  one  evil  of  appointing  a  minister  of 
a  different  religious  persuasion  to  that  established  in  the  land ;  an  evil 
which  the  sagacity  of  the  Archbishop  detected  at  the  passing  of  the 
Emancipation  Bill,  then  stating  that  the  Protestant  missions  must  suf- 
fer from  it. 

As  an  instance,  I  may  mention  also  the  following  fact,  by  which  it 
will  be  seen  that  a  Protestant  clergyman  must  suffer  considerably, 
even  among  the  most  liberal  Roman  Catholics,  by  such  a  circum- 
stance. Colonel  Sheil  very  liberally  gave  me  permission  to  preach 
in  the  Embassy,  but  he  himself  did  not  attend.  Now  the  impression 
raised  among  the  natives  by  this  line  of  conduct  is  unfavourable  to 
Christianity,  who  either  say  the  Vizier  Muchtar  has  no  religion  at 
all,  or  that  he  pays  no  regard  to  the  Mullah  of  his  country. 

It  will  always  remain  to  me  an  enigma  why  Colonel  Sheil,  though 
he  admitted  that  Abdul  Samut  Khan  was  a  villain,  and  though  he  was 
unfavourably  impressed  with  the  appearance  of  Haje  Ibrahim  his 


OP  DR.   WOLFP  TO  BOKHARA.  303 

brother,  nevertheless  would  never  enter  into  details  about  him,  and 
when  I  recommended  him  to  get  full  information  of  the  infamous  char- 
acter of  Abdul  Samut  Khan  from  Mirza  Abdul  Wahab,  he  actually 
turned  in  a  rude  and  insulting  manner  from  Abdul  Wahab.  My  esti- 
mate of  Colonel  Sheil's  character  will  be  fully  established  by  every 
Englishman  that  knows  him.  His  bilious  maladies,  however,  and 
gout,  must  plead  an  apology  for  all  this.  He  also  acted  completely 
the  reverse  of  Sir  S.  Canning  in  the  following  affair.  He  knew  fully, 
as  well  by  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  as  by  myself,  how  villanously  I  was 
treated  by  Dil  Assa  Khan,  but  he  never  for  one  moment  thought  of 
getting  me  any  redress,  or  of  punishing  him  through  the  medium  of 
the  Assaff-ood-Dowla ;  on  the  contrary,  Sir  S.  Canning,  when  I  told 
His  Excellency  that  the  Ambassador  who  was  designed  to  accompany 
me  to  England  from  Bokhara  had  taken  from  me  money  and  a  shawl, 
would  have  compelled  him  to  restore  everything  had  I  wished  it. 
I  received,  also,  the  following  letter  from  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  : 

To  the  mighty  in  rank,  of  high  family,  the  fellow-traveller  of  greatness  and 
dignity,  the  chief  of  the  great  personages  of  the  Christian  faith,  and  the  cream  of 
the  illustrious  (followers)  of  the  Messiah,  the  unique  of  the  times,  Padre  Joseph 
WoliF ;  may  he  always  be  happy  and  delighted,  and  gratified  by  obtaining  his  objecta 
and  desires. 

Be  it  known,  that  from  excess  of  friendship,  I  was  most  anxious  and  desirous  to 
see  that  great  man ;  and  it  so  happened,  that  when  he  returned  from  Bokhara  to  the 
Holy  Land,  I  was  not  there,  which  was  a  source  of  regret  and  disappointment  to 
me,  but  since  that  mighty  person  came  to  seek  for  peace  and  the  increase  of 
friendship  and  good  understanding  between  both  nations,  I  am  much  pleased  and 
delighted. 

If  it  please  God,  that  great  person,  after  returning  to  the  seat  of  Government, 
Will  always  write  an  account  of  himself  to  me,  as  I  am  much  gratified  with  his 
friendship.  Salaam. 

(Seal  of  Assaff-ood-Dowla.') 

At  this  point  of  my  travels  I  drew  together  the  following  view  of 
Christian  Missions.  During  my  journey  to  Bokhara,  I  tried  to  ascer- 
tain where  new  missionary  stations  might  be  established,  and  I  believe 
that  if  some  Christian-minded  physicians  were  sent  into  Khorassaun, 
they  might  become  eminently  useful,  for,  since  the  invasion  of  Aff- 
ghanistaun  by  the  British  army,  the  people  of  Khorassaun  are  re- 
joiced when  they  see  an  Englishman.  I  was  frequently  asked  for 
copies  of  the  Bible  ;  and  in  the  cities  of  Semnaan,  Damghan,  Nisha- 
poor,  and  Meshed,  I  was  invited  to  open  discussions  about  religion 
with  the  chief  mullahs.  The  chief  mullahs  of  Meshed  sent  actually 
presents  of  turquoises  after  me  through  Colonel  Sheil,  when  I  had  left 
the  country.  Writings  published  against  Muhammedanism,  by  the 


304  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

late  missionary,  Mr.  Pfander,  are  read  at  Meshed  and  Nishapoor  with 
eagerness.  I  therefore  would  advise  persons  to  send  Christian  physi- 
cians to  Semnan,  Sharoot,  and  Meshed,  to  labour  there  among  Mu- 
hammedans ;  and  Jewish  missionaries  ought  to  be  sent  to  the  Jews  of 
Mazanderaun.  Dr.  Thompson,  at  Damascus,  who  is  sometimes 
visited  by  three  thousand  persons,  as  I  was  informed,  has  sufficiently 
proved  the  utility  of  a  Christian  physician  among  Muhammedans. 

There  are  also,  in  Khorassaun,  several  mines,  and  the  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla  wishes  to  obtain  miners  from  England.  If,  therefore,  some 
persons  of  respectability,  acquainted  with  mining,  could  be  sent,  they 
would  prove  highly  useful. 

From  Khorassaun,  missionaries  might  easily  extend  their  influence, 
accompanied  by  Jews,  to  the  deserts  of  Sarakhs,  Merw,  Akhal,  and 
Khiva.  Missionaries  to  Jews,  as  well  as  to  Muhammedans,  in  the 
cities  of  Khokand,  Hasrat-Sultan,  or  Turkistaun,  and  Tashkand, 
would  be  hospitably  received ;  for  neither  the  Jews  nor  Muhamme- 
dans of  those  towns  are  bigoted  or  intolerant.  It  is  also  remarkable 
that  in  Shamay,  in  Chinese  Tartary,  a  colony  of  Polish  Jews  is  found, 
amounting  to  three  hundred  families,  who  would  hail  the  arrival  of 
English  people  with  delight,  as  I  was  assured  by  some  of  them  whom 
I  met  at  Bokhara.  Yarkand  is  another  city  where  a  missionary  to 
the  Jews,  as  well  as  Muhammedans,  would  be  of  the  greatest  use, 
and  also  Cashgar  and  Eele.  In  the  latter  city,  caravans  from  Russia 
deposit  their  merchandize.  From  Khokand,  Tashkand,  Turkistaun, 
and  Cashgar,  Bibles  might  be  sent  into  Thibet  and  Cashmeer.  The 
people  of  Thibet  are  also  partially  acquainted  with  the  art  of  printing ; 
if,  therefore,  printers  and  lithographers  were  sent  to  those  parts,  it 
might  tend  to  further  the  promotion  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

The  question  will  be  asked,  "  Could  a  mission  be  erected  at  Bok- 
hara ?"  I  reply,  "  Not  under  the  present  Ameer,  for  he  is  too  capri- 
cious a  tyrant,  and  though  he  has  an  ardent  desire  of  knowing  every- 
thing, and  gathers  around  him  strangers,  yet  he  does  not  allow  them 
free  egress  and  regress."  In  consequence,  no  respectable  person  will 
go  there,  and  as  long  as  Abdul  Samut  Khan  is  with  him,  Europeans 
would  certainly  perish.  However,  the  son  of  the  Ameer  gives  some 
hopes  of  being  a  better  man  than  his  father  ;  on  his  accession  to  the 
throne  a  mission  may  be  established. 

The  following  places  would  be  the  best  adapted  for  missions  for 
Jews,  Heathens,  and  Muhammedans :  Khokand,  Cashmeer,  Ladack, 
and  Lassa.  The  following  languages  would  be  absolutely  necessary : 
Arabic,  Persian,  Turkish,  Chinese,  Hindustanese,  Hebrew,  and  the 
Kalmuck.  The  following  sciences  and  arts  would  be  useful :  medi- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA.  305 

cine,  astronomy,  sacred  and  profane  history,  watchmaking  and  engi- 
neering. Missionaries  might  also  make  excursions  from  the  above- 
mentioned  places  to  the  Kasaks,  Ghirgese,  Kafir  Seeah  Poosh,  and  to 
the  tribes  of  Naphtali  and  Ashur,  in  the  HindQ-Cush. 

I  think  that  a  missionary  in  these  countries  should  put  on  the  garb 
of  a  derveesh,  and  take  a  cottage  outside  the  town,  when  thousands 
would  crowd  around  him  to  hear  his  wisdom.  He  must  use  hospi- 
tality, bring  forth  to  the  stranger  bread  and  sherbet,  pour  rose-water 
on  his  head,  present  him  with  a  rose,  and  delight  him  with  the  song 
of  the  nightingale.  If  he  is  distant  in  manner,  no  soul  will  come 
near  him.  They  ought  to  be  missionaries  like  Schauffler,  Goodell, 
Dwight,  Benjamin,  Peabody,  Bliss,  Dr.  Grant,  Dr.  Wilson,  and  Duff. 
For  though  I  essentially  differ  with  those  gentlemen  with  regard  to 
Church  government,  I  highly  esteem  their  zeal,  judgment,  kind- 
heartedness,  and  perseverance.  They  are  men  not  only  willing  to 
learn,  but  also  to  teach.  Or  if  missionaries  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
be  sent,  they  ought  to  be  like  my  late  lamented  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Leeves,  Chaplain  of  Athens,  or  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hill,  American  Episco- 
pal Missionary  at  Athens. 

A  Sooffee  called  on  me,  and  said,  "  Youssuff  Wolff,  do  you  think 
that  religion  is  necessary  to  a  wise  man  ?"  I  replied,  "  My  dear 
friend,  he  only  is  a  wise  man  who  feels  and  is  convinced  that  religion 
is  the  only  means  of  giving  support  to  helpless  nature ;  and  all  the 
sages  of  every  age  have  taught  us,  with  one  consent,  that  knowledge 
which  has  only  for  its  object  terrestrial  things  is  not  worthy  of  that 
name.  And  understand,  that  God  manifests  himself  to  the  heart,  and 
hides  Himself  from  those  who  seek  Him  with  their  reason  only.  Faith, 
and  obedience  to  God's  laws,  are  wings  of  the  soul,  by  which  it  is 
able  to  soar  up  to  God's  presence ;  and  whenever  human  nature  de- 
cays and  degenerates,  divine  knowledge  disappears." 

Sooffee.  What  do  you  think  of  our  Prophet  Muhammed,  and  of  his 
religion  ? 

W.  Muhammed  is  a  Prophet  without  miracles,  and  therefore  a  false 
one.  His  system  is  a  faith  without  mysteries,  and  therefore  not  a 
divine  one ;  and  a  morality  without  love,  and  therefore  a  devilish  mo- 
rality. Christianity  takes  hold  of  the  heart,  in  order  to  make  it  better  ; 
Muhammedanism  takes  hold  of  the  heart,  in  order  to  make  it  worse. 

After  we  had  stopped  at  Meshed  for  twenty-one  days,  another  Gho- 
lam  arrived  for  me  with  letters  from  Colonel  Sheil. 

The  name  of  that  Gholam  was  Ameer  Beyk,  who,  in  the  year  1838, 
was  seized  by  the  Turkomauns  in  carrying  dispatches  for  Sir  John 
McNeil  from  Colonel  Stoddart,  at  Heraut.  He  tried  to  escape  twice 

39 


306  NARRATIVE   OF    THE   MISSION 

from  Khiva  ;  the  second  time  he  was  brought  back,  and  had  his  ears 
cropped  close  to  his  head.  He  was  afterwards  purchased  by  Abbot, 
and  he  enjoys  a  pension  from  the  British  Government  for  the  loss  of 
his  ears.  He  is  not  a  Muhammedan,  but  a  Daoodee,  i.  e.  of  a  sect 
who  believe  that  King  David  was  a  God.  He  was  of  very  great  use 
to  me.  We  set  out,  together  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  the  two  Bokhara 
Ambassadors,  and  Mullah  Mehdee  the  Jew,  for  Teheraun.  The 
Jews  of  Meshed  and  many  Muhammedans  accompanied  me  out  of  town. 

We  stopped  the  first  day  at  Askerea,  a  village  belonging  to  Mirza 
Askeree,  the  Imam  Ajooma  of  Meshed.  It  contains  about  twenty 
houses,  and  is  about  five  English  miles  from  Meshed. 

From  thence  we  proceeded  to  Shereef-Abad,  a  place  where,  fourteen 
years  ago,  I  was  obliged  to  remain  for  several  days,  on  account  of  the 
wandering  Hazarah,  a  Mogul  tribe  who  reside  near  Heraut,  and  invaded 
at  that  time  Khorassaun,  in  order  to  make  slaves.  Now  Shereef-Abad 
contains  about  twenty  houses,  and  is  situated  between  two  mountains, 
and  is  very  cold.  A  messenger  came  there  from  the  Assaff-ood- 
Dowla  to  welcome  me,  and  made  me  a  present  of  a  shawl.  The 
two  Ambassadors  from  Bokhara — the  one  who  was  to  accompany  me 
to  England,  and  the  other  who  was  sent  to  Muhammed  Shah — were 
quite  surprised  that  the  Assaff  paid  to  me  such  attention.  From  Shereef- 
Abad  we  continued  our  journey  to  Kadam-Gah,  which  means,  Place 
of  the  Foot, — for  the  foot-print  of  Imam  Resa,  the  patron  saint  of 
Meshed  and  Khorassaun,  is  still  pointed  out  there ;  and  it  is  therefore 
a  famous  place  of  pilgrimage  for  the  Muhammedans.  The  inhabit- 
ants of  that  place  are  descendants  of  the  family  of  Muhammed  ;  and 
therefore  they  cannot  be  forced  by  Government  to  entertain  a  stranger ; 
but  they  treated  me  both  times  with  great  respect  and  hospitality,  and 
many  of  them  wished  me  to  send  to  them  the  Gospel.  Several  of  them 
asked  me  seriously,  "When  will  the  English  come  and  take  this 
country  ?" 

Kadam-Gah  contains  also  a  strong  castle.  From  Kadam-Gah  we 
arrived  at  Nishapore,  twenty  miles  distant  from  the  former  place,  con- 
sidered, after  Balkh,  in  their  traditions,  the  most  ancient  town  in  the 
world,  and  was  formerly  the  place  of  residency  of  the  King.  There 
are  several  iron  mines  to  be  found.  It  was  destroyed  by  Tamerlane. 
It  contains  numerous  mines,  and  the  surrounding  country  is  most 
lovely. 

We  proceeded  thence  to  Sabz-Awar,  which  contains  about  six  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  and  a  good  many  shops.  When  I  was  there  on  my 
way  to  Bokhara,  a  rumour  was  spread  that  I  was  two  hundred  years 
of  age,  and  acquainted  with  all  the  sciences  upon  earth  ;  so  that  the 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA.  307 

whole  town  naturally  rushed  out  to  look  on  such  a  prodigy.  When  I 
told  them  that  I  was  only  forty-eight,  they  declared  me  to  be  a  great  liar. 
However,  on  my  second  arrival,  I  was  again  visited  by  crowds  of  Mus- 
sulmans, among  whom  was  a  chief  mullah,  who  considered  me  to  be  a 
Prophet,  for  I  told  him  on  my  way  to  Bokhara,  that,  previous  to  the 
coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  there  would  be  earthquakes  in  Khorassaun 
and  all  over  the  world.  And  as  a  terrible  earthquake— of  which  I 
have  given  a  description — actually  happened,  it  was  considered  as  a 
part  of  my  prediction.  Even  some  of  them  declared  me  to  be  Baba 
Elias,  a  celebrated  derveesh.  I  contradicted  none  of  these  rumours, 
for  it  is  useless  to  attempt  it.  Khorassaun  rings  with  the  praises  of 
Sir  John  Me  Neil  and  Sir  John  Campbell. 

From  Sabz-Awar  we  proceeded  to  Massanan,  which  has  a  fine  car- 
avanseray,  built  by  Shah  Abbas.  It  has  excellent  wells,  and  is  highly 
cultivated.  They  have  there  several  guns,  on  account  of  the  Turko- 
mauns,  whenever  they  come  from  Astarabad  to  make  Chapow. 

Thence  we  passed  to  Abbas- Abad,  inhabited  by  descendants  of  Geor- 
gians, brought  there  from  Tiflis  by  Shah  Abbas.  They  have  many 
privileges  peculiar  to  the  place,  confirmed  by  firmauns  from  Shah  Ab- 
bas, Nadir  Shah,  Abbas  Mirza,  and  Muhammed  Shah.  They  profess 
now  the  Muhammedan  religion,  except  fifteen  families  of  them,  who 
are,  in  secret,  Christians. 

We  then  proceeded  to  Miyandasht,  a  little  place  built  by  the  pres- 
ent King  of  Persia ;  and  from  thence  to  Miyamey,  a  beautiful  cara- 
vanseray.  Here  Dr.  Cormick  died,  who  was  an  Irish  gentleman,  and 
favourite  physician  to  Abbas  Mirza.  He  was  an  excellent  but  eccen- 
tric man.  He  was  married  to  a  Georgian  by  the  famous  Henry 
Martin,  and,  strange  to  say,  never  acknowledged  it ;  but  after  his 
death,  his  wife  produced  a  certificate  from  Henry  Martin  proving  that 
she  was  married  to  him.  Dr.  Cormick  resided  at  Tabreez  with  Abbas 
Mirza.  When  Abbas  Mirza  marched  toward  Khorassaun,  he  left  Dr. 
Cormick  at  Tabrreez ;  but  when  the  Prince  saw  that  his  stay  in  Kho- 
rassaun would  be  prolonged,  he  wrote  to  Dr.  Cormick  to  join  him.  He 
obeyed ;  but  arriving  at  Miyamey,  he  was  seized  with  a  violent  fever, 
which  killed  him  in  twelve  hours.  He  left  about  twenty  thousand 
pounds  for  his  wife  and  children.  When  Abbas  Mirza  was  informed 
of  the  death  of  his  medical  friend,  he  said,  "  Now  all  is  over  with  me 
— I  shall  soon  follow;"  and  His  Royal  Highness  died  a  few  weeks 
after. 

During  our  journey  on  to  Teheraun,  Sabhan  Ullah  Khan,  Ambas- 
sador of  the  King  of  Bokhara  to  Muhammed  Shah,  came  every  day  to 
me,  for  I  had  taken  up  my  quarters  at  a  distance  from  the  rest,  being 


308  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

too  much  indisposed  to  see  any  one.  My  mind  was  overpowered  with 
despondency  and  melancholy.  I  was  bled  almost  every  other  day, 
and  took  a  medicine  which  they  have  in  Khorassaun  called  Sheer- 
khishk,  a  kind  of  powerful  manna.  I  scarcely  had  strength  enough 
to  talk.  Sabhan  Ullah  Khan  came  every  day  to  see  me,  and  on  one 
occasion  he  spoke  to  me  in  the  following  manner :  "  I  can  assure  you 
also  of  what  the  Kazi  Kelaun  has  told  you,  and  I  know  it,  that  Stod- 
dart  and  Conolly  were  put  to  death  at  the  instigation  of  Abdul  Samut 
Khan.  He  was  the  mediator  between  Hasrat  and  them." 

I  arrived  next  at  Shah-Rood,  River  of  the  King.  Stoddart's  name 
is  well  remembered  here.  They  call  him  the  Rasheed,  the  Brave 
Man. 

Our  next  point  was  Deh-Mullah,  one  of  Sultan  Mahmoud's  villa- 
ges ;  but  it  has  beautiful  gardens.  Thence  we  passed  to  Damghan, 
a  most  ancient  town  in  great  part  ruinous.  There  are  poisonous  bugs 
here  which  kill  strangers.  We  then  reached  Dowlat-Abad  and  Agh- 
wan,  and  at  last  Semnan,  where  a  room  was  given  to  me  in  the  palace 
of  the  Prince  Governor,  who  was  absent  at  the  time  of  my  visit. 
These  beautiful  palaces  sink  here  to  ruin,  for  as  the  Governors  do  not 
know  how  long  they  may  be  allowed  to  remain,  they  think  it  scarcely 
worth  while  to  improve  their  dwellings.  Jews  from  Mazanderaun 
called  on  me  here.  They  are  better  off  than  in  other  parts  of  Persia, 
and  the  Persians  relate  of  the  Jews  of  Mazanderaun,  that  they  are 
almost  better  off  than  the  Muhammedans,  for  they  blacken  twice  a 
day  their  beards  with  henna. 

We  arrived  next  at  Lasgird,  a  place  with  a  most  ancient  castle, 
said  to  be  built  by  the  Deevs  (fairies).  Thence  to  Deh  Namak,  Pah- 
Deh,  and  Kish-Lagh,  where  I  met  a  horse  sent  after  me  by  Colonel 
Sheil,  and  soon  after  the  excellent  Mr.  Read  came  to  welcome  me, 
and  Mr.  Karapet,  an  Armenian,  who  was  the  apothecary  in  the  Brit- 
ish Residency  j  and  at  last  we  arrived  at  Teheraun,  where  I  met  with 
a  hospitable  reception  by  Colonel  Sheil,  the  British  Envoy. 

I  also  met  there  with  Messrs.  Thomson  and  Glen,  the  Attaches  to 
the  Embassy,  and  Mr.  Abbot,  the  British  Consul.  As  the  King  and 
His  Majesty's  Prime  Minister  were  going  out  hunting,  Colonel  Sheil 
and  the  Attaches  accompanied  them,  whilst  I  remained  at  the  Em- 
bassy and  received  the  visit  of  Monsieur  le  Comte  Sartiges,  Charge 
d' Affaires  to  the  King  of  the  French,  who  was  sent  there  in  order  to 
effect  the  reinstatement  of  the  Lazarists  in  Persia.  I  spoke  to  him, 
that  he  should  write  in  my  name  to  the  King  of  the  French,  that  I 
ardently  wished  that  France  should  join  England  in  the  endeavour  of 
effecting  the  liberation  of  the  two  hundred  thousand  Persian  slaves  in 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  309 

Bokhara.  He  also  told  me  that  it  was  considered  great  courage  on 
my  part  to  address  a  letter  to  all  the  European  Powers  from  the  city 
of  Bokhara  in  behalf  of  the  slaves.  I  also  received  a  visit  from  the 
French  Lazariste,  Monsieur  Clusel,  who  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  very 
zealous  man.  The  Lazaristes  were  established  by  that  ardent  phi- 
lanthropist Vincent  de  Paul,  who  sighed  in  slavery  at  Tunis,  whence 
he  escaped  with  his  master,  whom  he  had  converted  to  the  Christian 
faith.  Monsieur  Clusel  intends  to  establish  his  mission  at  Teheraun, 
or  Ispahan. 


310  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Dr.  Wolff  preaches  at  the  Embassy.  Noble  Conduct  of  Count  Medem.  Colonel 
Sheil  refuses  to  return  the  Letter  of  Lord  Ellenborough.  Kindness  of  the  Russian 
Embassy.  Khosrow  Khan.  Dr.  Wolff  writes  to  the  Ameer.  Reception  by  the 
Shah.  Dr.  Wolff  thanks  His  Majesty  for  his  Life.  His  Life  twice  preserved  by 
the  Court  of  Persia.  Autograph  of  the  Shah.  Mullah  Bahram,  the  Gueber. 
Colonel  Sheil  demands  the  Date  of  the  Execution  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain 
Conolly ;  Dr.  Wolff  gives  1258  Hejirah.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  thinks  it  was  1259. 
Dr.  Wolff,  on  further  reflection,  coincides  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  Persia  could 
not  under  existing  circumstances  take  Bokhara.  Mirza  Abdul  Wahab.  Letter 
of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  to  Lady  Georgiana  Wolff.  Kindness  of  the  Embassy  to 
Dr.  Wolff.  Armenian  Church.  Recourse  had  to  the  Russian  Embassy,  and  not 
to  the  British,  by  the  Protestant  Missionaries.  Count  Medem  visits  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan,  and  thanks  him  for  his  Kindness  to  Dr.  Wolff.  Visit  of  Dr.  Wolff  to  the 
Haje,  the  Prime  Minister  of  the  Shah;  then-  Conversation.  Haje  Ibrahim 
demands  six  thousand  Tillahs ;  Dr.  Wolff  takes  an  Oath  that  he  never  received 
this  Sum ;  Dr.  Wolff  pays  him  three  thousand  Tillahs,  and  draws  on  Captain 
Grover  for  four  hundred  Pounds.  Haje  Ibrahim  claims  three  thousand  Tillahs  as 
due  from  Conolly  ;  Dr.  Wolff  protests  against  this  Payment,  and  thinks  Colonel 
Sheil  ought  to  have  refused  to  pay  Haje  Ibrahim  anything  for  either  Dr.  Wolff 
or  Captain  Conolly.  Inexplicable  Conduct  of  Colonel  Sheil.  Letter  from  the 
Queen  to  the  King  of  Bokhara.  Visit  to  Haje  Baba. 

Now  I  may  write  again  dates,  for,  having  arrived  at  Teheraun, 
which  is  the  Rages  of  Tobit,  I  was  informed  that  it  was  the  3rd  of 
November.  On  the  4th  of  November,  Colonel  Sheil  allowed  me  to 
preach  in  the  Embassy,  though  he  himself,  being  a  Roman  Catholic, 
did  not  come. 

Count  Medem,  the  Russian  Ambassador,  behaved  most  nobly  to- 
wards  me.  He  not  only  invited  me  to  preach  in  his  house  in  German, 
on  which  occasion  His  Excellency  and  all  his  Attaches  attended ;  but 
he  also  made  me  a  present  of  two  shawls,  and  gave  me  a  public  din- 
ner,  to  which  he  invited  Colonel  Sheil,  all  the  British  Attaches,  Count 
Sartiges,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  Monsieur  Labat,  the  King's  Physician, 
&c. ;  and  during  my  stay  at  Bokhara,  he  wrote  to  Count  Nesselrode 
about  me.  Count  Sartiges  gave  also  a  public  dinner  to  me,  to  which 
he  invited  the  British  Embassy. 

I  must  here  remark,  that,  having  been  very  unwell  at  Meshed,  I 
sent  on  before  me  to  Colonel  Sheil  Lord  Ellenborough's  letter,  given 
to  me  by  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara,  and  other  documents  from  Conolly 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  311 

to  the  Ameer.  A  few  days  after  my  arrival  at  Teheraun,  when  Colo- 
nel Sheil  came  back  from  the  sporting  expedition,  and  he  was  in  his 
office,  I  wrote  to  him  from  my  room,  on  a  piece  of  paper : 

Dear  Sir, 

Would  you  be  kind  enough  to  give  me  back  Lord  EUenborough's  letter,  and 
the  other  documents  of  Conolly. 

And  sent  the  note  by  his  servant,  to  which  he  wrote  in  his  own  hand 
writing,  upon  a  piece  of  paper,  the  following  answer,  which  I  have 
still  in  my  possession  : 

Lord  Ellenborough's  letter  is  the  property  of  Government,  as  well  as  all 
other  official  documents. 

As  I  dislike  to  create  any  dissension,  I  of  course  submitted  to  his 
judgment ;  and,  beside  this,  I  did  not  wish  to  be  embroiled  with  the 
Government  at  home.  I  cannot  also  but  remark,  that  the  kindness 
shown  to  me  by  the  Russian  Ambassador  at  Teheraun,  was  unbound- 
ed ;  so  much  so,  that  even  Mullah  Mehdee,  the  Jew,  and  persons  in 
authority  at  Teheraun,  observed  that  "  the  Russians  are  by  far  kinder 
to  you  than  your  own  people,  the  English."  I  have  good  authority 
to  say  that,  had  I  been  a  Russian  subject,  the  Russian  Government 
would  not  have  suffered  me  to  pay  one  farthing  to  Abdul  Samut 
Khan's  brother. 

But  Colonel  Sheil,  beside  that,  did  not  send  forward  to  Captain  Gro- 
ver  the  note  of  Sir  R.  Shakespeare  which  accompanied  Lord  Ellen- 
borough's  letter. 

I  have  already  mentioned  that  I  had  a  friend  at  Teheraun,  whose 
name  is  Khosrow  Khan,  chief  eunuch  to  Futt  Ali  Shah.  He  occu- 
pied several  high  functions  under  that  monarch,  as,  for  instance,  the 
place  of  Governor  of  Ispahan,  and  at  another  time  Geelaun ;  but  now, 
being  out  of  favour  with  the  Haje,  is  out  of  favour  with  the  King.  On 
my  first  arrival  at  Teheraun,  he  called  on  me,  but  as  Colonel  Sheil 
did  not  come  to  see  him  in  my  room,  he  refused  to  call  on  my  second 
visit,  and  therefore  I  called  on  him.  He  is,  like  all  the  Georgians, 
secretly  attached  to  the  Christian  religion,  but  he  is  somewhat  of  a 
Swedenborgian.  He  always  affects  to  see  some  saint  of  olden  time. 
When  I  last  saw  him,  he  told  me  with  great  earnestness  that  he  had 
lately  seen,  and  even  conversed  with,  Samuel  the  Prophet,  who  had  a 
little  beard,  completely  white,  and  beautiful  blue  eyes,  and  that  he 
was  a  man  of  powerful  figure,  but  low.  He  also  saw  Moses,  who  had 
a  most  powerful  voice,  and  had  a  great  resemblance  in  his  outward 
appearance  to  the  late  King,  Futt  Ali  Shah.  He  never  smiled,  he  said, 
and  was  greatly  incensed  at  the  ingratitude  of  the  Jews  towards  him. 


312 


NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 


I  took  the  opportunity  while  here  of  writing  a  full  account  to  the 
Ameer  of  Bokhara,  of  my  notions  of  his  own  conduct,  and  a  complete 
exposure  of  the  villany  of  Abdul  Samut  Khan. 

My  reception  by  the  Shah  was  most  gracious.  When  I  entered 
the  presence  of  the  Shah,  introduced  by  Mr.  Thomson,  he  smilingly 
said,  "  Now  you  have  enough  of  Bokhara  :  you  will  not  go  again  to 
that  city  in  a  hurry."  I  replied,  "  Twice  have  I  been  saved  from 
danger  by  the  gracious  assistance  of  the  Persian  Government.  Twelve 
years  ago,  from  the  hands  of  Muhammed  Khan  Kerahe,  by  Your  Maj. 
esty's  father,  and  from  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  by  Your  Majesty."  He 
then  asked  me  why  I  had  cut  off  my  beard  ?  I  told  His  Majesty  that 
it  had  given  me  too  much  trouble,  on  which  he  laughed  heartily.  I 
also  requested  His  Majesty  to  give  me  his  autograph,  upon  which 
he  wrote  the  following  lines,  of  which  I  give  the  autograph  and 
translation. 

Autograph  of  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Persia. 

(Given  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Wolff,  after  his  return  from  Bokhara  to  Teheraun, 
30th  October,  1844.) 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  313 

This  is  the  translation  which  Mr.  Thomson  made  for  me  : 
Translation  of  an  Autograph  of  Muhammed  Shah. 

Praise  be  to  God,  Mr.  Wolff  is  rescued,  and  may  he  go  in  safety  to 
London  to  his  wife. 

Verse. 

Two  friends  know  each  other's  worth  when 

their  intercourse  has  been  interrupted  for 

some  time,  and  they  again  meet. 

The  month  of  Shewal,  1260  of  the  Hejireh. 

Written  by  the  Shah  of  Persia,  and  presented  to  Dr.  Wolff,  at  his  audience  on 
his  return  from  Bokhara. 

Mullah  Bahram,  the  chief  of  the  Guebers,  and  who  managed  all 
matters  for  my  departure  twelve  years  ago,  called  on  me.  He  told 
me  that  the  Haje  Mirza  Aghasee  was  a  great  friend  to  the  Guebers, 
and  had  built  them  a  village  four  miles  from  Teheraun,  of  which  he 
had  made  him  overseer. 

On  my  arrival,  Colonel  Sheil  asked  me  whether  Colonel  Stoddart 
and  Captain  Conolly  had  been  put  to  death  in  1259  of  the  Hejirah,  or 
1258.  I  told  him  that  the  Nayeb  had  said  1259,  but  that  twenty 
months  had  elapsed  between  the  time  of  my  arrival  and  their  execu- 
tion. I  told  him  on  a  second  occasion,  that  according  to  this  calcula- 
tion the  execution  was  in  1258,  to  which  he  agreed.  Others  also  said 
at  Bokhara  that  it  was  1258.  Colonel  Sheil  desired  me  to  give  him  a 
statement  to  that  effect  in  writing,  which  I  did. 

On  leaving,  however,  for  Tabreez,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  myself 
had  some  conversation  on  this  subject,  and  he  then  said,  "  I  made  most 
accurate  inquiries  pursuant  to  my  official  instructions.  You  may  de- 
pend upon  it  that  the  information  I  have  obtained  about  their  execu- 
tion is  more  correct  than  your  own.  Stoddart  and  Conolly  were  put 
to  death  eleven  months  before  your  arrival."  He  then  emphatically 
added,  "  They  were  put  to  death,  as  the  Nayeb  told  you  at  the  first, 
in  the  year  1259,  and  not  1258."  And  as  it  is  certain  that  Shaks- 
peare's  note,  with  the  letter  of  Lord  Ellenborough,  arrived  before 
their  execution,  the  information  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  and  the  first  of- 
ficial statement  of  the  King  and  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  is  correct.  I 
therefore  regretted  that  I  gave  the  paper  to  Colonel  Sheil,  which  should 
not  have  been  demanded  from  me  when  I  was  in  a  state  of  the  great- 
est excitement,  ill  and  miserable,  and  attended  by  Dr.  Kade,  the  phy- 
sician of  the  Russian  Embassy. 

It  may  be  asked,  If  Persia  proceeds  to  Bokhara  alone,  without  the 
assistance  of  either  Russia  or  England,  will  she  take  Bokhara  ?  My 

40 


314  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

reply  is,  Her  success  is  very  doubtful,  for  the  following  reasons. 
First,  it  could  only  be  effectually  done  by  an  order  and  full  power 
given  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  but  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  and  the  Haje 
Mirza  Agasee  are  deadly  enemies,  and  each  jealous  of  the  other ;  so 
that  they  would  counteract  each  other,  as  they  did  during  the  siege  of 
Heraut.  Besides  this,  the  officers  themselves  are  very  jealous  of  each 
other.  They  would  agree  to  no  general  combined  plan,  and  therefore 
they  would  mutually  betray  each  other's  plans  to  the  Ameer  of  Bok- 
hara. Also  Muhammed  Shah  is  afraid  of  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  and 
I  know  for  a  certainty,  upon  the  best  authority,  that  the  King  has  a 
most  well-founded  suspicion  that  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  entertains  the 
design  of  making  himself,  if  not  King  of  all  Persia,  at  least  of  Kho- 
rassaun. 

I  must  here  observe,  that  I  paid  at  Teheraun  thirty  tomauns  lo 
Mirza  .  Abdul  Wahab,  the  painter,  for  his  work  for  me.  For  though 
the  Nayeb  included  him  in  his  account,  he  had  not  in  reality  given 
him  one  single  farthing. 

I  must  here  repeat,  that  the  kindness  of  Count  Medem,  the  Russian 
ambassador,  can  never  be  obliterated  from  my  memory.  He  gave  a 
public  dinner  on  my  arrival,  to  which  he  invited  Colonel  Sheil,  the  en- 
tire British  Embassy,  and  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan 
also  made  me  a  present  of  two  Cashmeer  shawls  for  Lady  Georgiana. 
He  also  sent  to  her  the  following  kind  and  truly  Eastern  letter. 

Translation  of  a  Letter  from  the  Persian  Envoy  to  Bokhara  to  the  Lady 
Georgiana  Wolff. 

May  my  exalted  and  esteemed  sister,  whose  station  is  as  that  of  Bilbeis  (Queen 
of  Sheba),  the  respected  and  dear  lady  of  my  friend  and  brother,  the  Reverend  Jo- 
seph Wolff,  enjoy  good  health.  Five  months  ago,  according  to  the  desire  of  His 
Excellency  the  Doctor,  I  addressed  a  letter  to  you,  my  esteemed  sister,  and  I  assured 
you  that  I  would  bring  with  me,  with  honour  and  respect,  and  in  perfect  safety,  my 
friend  and  brother  the  Doctor.  Praise  be  to  God,  praise  be  to  God,  praise  be  to  God, 
eight  days  previous  to  the  date  of  this,  which  is  the  16th  Shevval,  I  brought  him  to 
Teheraun.  I  give  praise  and  I  am  thankful  to  God,  that  I  have  had  no  cause  to 
be  ashamed  before  you,  my  sister.  The  gentleman  will  himself,  please  God,  arrive 
soon  in  London,  and  he  will  acquaint  you,  my  sister,  verbally,  with  what  has  occur- 
red. You  will  then  perceive  how  I  have  acted  as  a  brother.  I  hope  that  you,  my 
respected  sister,  will  not  forget  me.  May  your  letters  always  reach  me  in  Persia. 

(Signed)  ABBAS  KOULI  KHAN,  KOORD., 

Sirteeb  (Colonel). 
IGth  Shevval,  1260. 

Count  Medem  invited  me  to  preach  in  his  house,  as  I  have  said,  in 
German,  before  the  entire  Russian  Embassy,  proffered  pecuniary  as- 
sistance, which  I  declined,  to  send  on  his  own  Gholam  to  Tabreez, 


XirzaJbte: 


IB  IB  A  g?     J?C(0)T3riL:i    J'SO 

PERSIAN    AMBASSADOR   TO   BOKHARA. 


rper    & 


**   .•-•» 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  315 

and  recommended  me  to  all  the  Russian  authorities  and  to  his  Impe- 
rial Master.  However,  I  must  say  that  Mr.  Thomson  and  the  excel- 
lent  Mr.  Read  were  exceedingly  kind  to  me,  as  well  as  Mrs.  Read ; 
and  I  must  also  say,  that  Messrs.  Thomson,  Glen,  and  Abbott  ren- 
dered  me  every  assistance  in  their  power. 

I  now  proceed  to  speak  of  the  Armenians.  Hoannes  Surrenno 
Krimetzki,  Archbishop  of  Julfa,  Hindustaun,  and  Teheraun,  called  on 
me,  covered  with  Russian  orders.  He  is  a  venerable  old  gentleman, 
and  anxious  to  improve  the  Armenian  nation.  He  has  established  a 
school  at  Julfa,  where  the  Armenian  boys  are  instructed  in  the  Eng- 
lish, French,  and  Armenian  tongues.  He  receives  contributions  for 
that  purpose  from  Russia,  Armenia,  and  from  the  Armenians  of  Hin- 
dustaun and  Yava.  "  I  was  frequently  advised  to  send  Armenian 
youths  to  England  and  France,"  he  observed ;  "  but  the  danger  in 
sending  them  there  is :  1st,  that  they  forget  their  own  language  ;  2nd, 
they  become  spoiled  by  good  living ;  and  then  return  discontented 
with  their  own  country.  I  thought  it  therefore  more  advisable  to  in- 
struct them  in  their  own  country  in  foreign  sciences,  where,  at  the 
same  time,  they  do  not  forget  their  own  language,  and  put  up  with  the 
hardships  of  their  countrymen." 

The  Eastern  churches  have  deacons  in  the  most  scriptural  sense  of 
the  word,  for  they  are  chosen  by  the  people,  consecrated  by  the  bish- 
ops, and  they  are  seldom  allowed  to  preach,  but  have  simply  to  raise 
alms,  to  provide  for  the  poor  and  sick,  and  to  make  arrangements  for 
the  internal  management  of  the  churches.  This  occupation  of  the 
deacons  is  obviously  derived  by  the  Apostles  from  the  Jewish  syna- 
gogue. I  must  also  observe,  that  there  is  far  greater  liberality  and  li- 
cence in  preaching  in  the  Eastern  and  Roman  Catholic  churches  than 
in  the  British.  It  is  a  fact,  that,  in  the  Eastern,  as  well  as  Roman 
Catholic  communities,  simple  laymen,  without  ordination  at  all,  are 
allowed  to  preach  in  the  church,  with  the  especial  licence  of  the 
bishop.  Thus,  for  example,  Ignatius  Loyola,  and  the  Jesuits,  preach- 
ed without  ordination,  on  the  simple  permission  of  the  Pope. 

It  must  be  observed,  that  Count  Medem  gives  most  efficient  protec- 
tion to  the  Armenians  throughout  Persia,  and  also  to  the  Chaldeans, 
residing  in  Oroomiah ;  and  when  the  Chaldean  Nestorians  of  that 
place  were  oppressed  by  the  Roman  Catholic  missionaries,  he  put  a 
stop  to  it.  The  Protestant  missionaries  of  Oroomiah  are  also  pro- 
tected, and  they  recur  to  the  Russian  Embassy  for  protection  in  case 
of  need.  Formerly  they  had  recourse  to  the  British  Embassy. 

I  was  delighted  to  perceive  that  Count  Medem  called  instantly  on 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  thanked  him  for  his  kindness  to  me,  and  invited 


316  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

him  to  dinner.  I  cannot  avoid  saying,  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Read, 
whom  I  knew  in  Persia  fourteen  years  previous,  form  the  very  life  of 
the  Embassy,  which  would  be  dulness  itself  without  them.  I  must 
not  omit  to  mention  the  kindness  of  General  Semino ;  he  is  alluded  to 
before  in  this  work. 

I  also  called  on  the  Haje,  and  thanked  him.  He  told  me  that  it 
would  have  been  well  if  I  had  waited  according  to  his  advice  at  Te- 
heraun,  until  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  had  reached  me  there ;  for  my  pro- 
tection  would  have  been  stronger — my  suffering  less.  This  Persian 
Wolsey  is  very  fond,  as  our  own  was,  of  building  palaces  and  also 
villages.  When  the  former  Ambassador  from  Bokhara  left  Tehe- 
raun,  he  sent  word  to  the  Ameer  :  "  How  can  the  Ameer  dream  of 
making  war  with  Khiva  ?  Khiva  belongs  to  me !"  He  evidently 
does  not  like  the  English  ;  and  he  once  made  the  following  observa- 
tion to  an  English  gentleman,  whose  name  I  forbear  to  mention  :  "  I 
know  your  English  fashion.  You  first  of  all  send  a  physician  to  a 
country  to  feel  our  pulse,  and  afterwards  a  surgeon  to  bleed  us  to 
death  ;  and  then  officers  follow,  and  they  dispose  of  our  land  as  the 
others  have  done  of  our  bodies." 

Previous  to  my  departure,  Haje  Ibrahim,  brother  to  Abdul  Samut 
Khan,  arrived  for  the  six  thousand  tillahs.  I  took  an  oath  that  I  never 
received  three  thousand  tillahs  of  this  amount ;  and  though  of  the 
three  thousand  tillahs  entrusted  to  me,  above  six  hundred  were  partly 
stolen  on  the  road,  and  partly  went  on  account  of  the  Nayeb's  camels, 
as  above  mentioned,  I  repaid  him  the  whole  of  the  three  thousand ;  to 
do  which  I  was  obliged  to  draw  four  hundred  pounds  on  my  dear  and 
excellent  friend,  Captain  Grover.  Haje  Ibrahim  also  applied  for  the 
three  thousand  tillahs  of  Conolly  ;  but  against  this  I  put  in  my  pro- 
test,  and  I  have  it  on  the  highest  authority,  that,  had  I  been  under  the 
Russian  flag,  I  should  not  have  been  called  on  to  pay  Haje  Ibrahim  one 
single  farthing,  and  I  might  have  got,  as  an  indemnification,  the  whole 
of  the  sum  entrusted  to  me  by  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  as  I  was  through 
his  instigation  imprisoned  in  Bokhara,  and  ill  treated  on  the  road. 
And  Persians,  as  well  as  other  personages  of  high  importance,  were 
surprised  that  Colonel  Sheil  did  not  insist  upon  the  arrest  of  Haje 
Ibrahim,  in  order  to  hear  all  even  the  minutest  circumstances  of  the 
execution  of  Colonel  Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly,  in  which  dark  trans- 
action  Haje  Ibrahim  was  deeply  involved.  Instead  of  which,  Colonel 
Sheil  suffered  that  villain  to  annoy  me  in  my  room,  demanding  twenty 
per  cent,  for  the  money,  until  I  took  him  by  the  throat  and  turned  him 
out.  Ill,  miserable,  bilious,  and  excited,  I  still  bore  up  against  all ; 
but  these  things  soon  had  issue  in  a  dangerous  and  delirious  illness  on 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  317 

my  arrival  at  Tabreez,  in  the  house  of  the  excellent  Mr.  Bonham. 
But  of  this  more  hereafter.  I  have  only  here  to  add,  that  if  Govern, 
ment  pays  the  debt  of  Conolly  to  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  they  will  pay  a 
premium  to  that  villain  for  the  murder  of  other  Englishmen,  and  for 
the  robbery  of  their  fellow-citizens. 

One  thing  appeared  to  me  very  extraordinary  ;  that  Colonel  Sheil 
said  to  me,  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Glen  and  Mr.  Thomson,  that  he 
would  recommend  Government  to  pay  to  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  one 
hundred  tillahs  for  the  letter  of  Lord  Ellenborough.  I  asked  why  ? 
For  according  to  Shakespeare's  note,  the  one  hundred  tillahs  were  to 
be  paid  to  the  bearer  after  he  had  brought  an  answer  from  the  Ameer 
to  the  Governor-General.  Now,  not  only  was  no  answer  given,  but, 
as  shown  above,  the  letter  was  not  delivered  to  the  Ameer  until  after 
my  arrival.  I  Jiere  say,  such  conduct  is  utterly  inexplicable. 

I  met  at  Teheraun  Mr.  L'Abbe  Clusel,  of  the  Lazarist  order,  who 
was  sent  as  missionary  to  Persia  by  the  Propaganda.  He  seems  to 
me  a  man  of  zeal  and  piety. 

I  told  Colonel  Sheil,  one  day,  that  a  letter  had  arrived  from  Her 
Majesty  Queen  Victoria,  and  inquired  why  the  King  of  Bokhara  had 
not  received  it.  All  the  answer  I  received  from  Colonel  Sheil,  in  the 
presence  of  Mr.  Thomson,  was,  "  You  are  not  at  liberty  to  say  that 
a  letter  has  come  from  Her  Majesty  or  not." 

Before  quitting  Teheraun,  I  called  on  Mirza  Abul  Hassan  Khan, 
the  Haje  Baba  of  Morier,  and  the  Secretary  for  Foreign  Affairs  to 
the  Court  of  Persia.  Haje,  though  looking  older,  is  cheerfulness  it- 
self. 


318  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

Departure  from  Teheraun.  Route — Kand ;  Sunghur-Abad  ;  Sepher-Khoja.  Meet- 
ing here  with  Assaad  Ullah  Beyk.  Route — Casween  ;  Sultanieh ;  Sanjoon  ;  Gul 
Teppa.  Illness  of  Dr.  Wolff.  Kind  Reception  of  Dr.  Wolff  at  Tabreez  by  Mr. 
Bonham ;  his  Treatment  by  Dr.  Casolani.  Mr.  Osroff  and  the  Russian  Legation. 
Introduction  of  Dr.  Wolff  by  Mr.  Bonham  to  Prince  Bahman  Mirza.  The  Prince 
presents  Dr.  Wolff  with  a  valuable  Emerald  Ring.  Letter  of  Prince  Bahman 
Mirza.  Russian  Inhabitants  of  Tabreez  consider  it  disgraceful  to  the  British  Gov- 
ernment to  permit  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly  Affair  to  rest  in  its  present  position. 
Extracts  showing  the  exact  Position  of  these  Diplomatic  Agents.  First,  from 
Captain  I.  Conolly,  Brother  to  the  murdered  Captain  Conolly ;  Second,  Extracts 
from  the  Correspondence  of  Colonel  Stoddart.  Impolicy  of  Non-interference. 
Holy  Places  visited  by  Persians.  Dispute  between  Turks  and  Persians  on  Frontier 
Question.  Colonel  Taylor  and  Major  Rawlinson.  Disciples  of  John  the  Baptist ; 
their  singular  History  ;  their  Report  of  themselves  that  they  are  Descendants  of 
the  Chaldeans  and  of  the  Brothers  of  Abraham.  Triple  Name  of  God.  Baptism 
of  John  in  the  Wilderness.  Two  kinds  of  Priests ;  one  the  Representative  of  the 
Baptist,  the  other  of  the  Christ.  Their  Book,  the  Sadra  Raba  ;  reported  Authors 
of  it,  Seth  and  John  the  Baptist ;  their  Residences.  Fruitless  Attempts  of  Father 
Agatangelos  to  convert  the  Mandaye  or  Disciples  of  John  the  Baptist.  Dr.  Wolff, 
however,  establishes  a  School  which  the  Son  of  even  the  Ganz  Awra,  or  Repre- 
sentative of  Jesus  Christ,  attends ;  they  affirm  Boohyra  to  have  been  a  Nestorian 
Monk  ;  also  that  they  emigrated  from  Egypt  with  the  Jews,  and  separated  from 
them  on  the  Institution  of  the  Rite  of  Circumcision  by  Joshua ;  their  Language 
Chaldean.  The  Ganz  Awfa  has,  his  Right  Hand  cut  off  by  order  of  the  Governor 
of  Bosra ;  he  maintained  that  numbers  of  their  Sect  were  resident  in  Morocco. 
Catholicity  shown  to  be  a  natural  Principle  from  the  Conduct  of  Sectarians. 

ON  the  7th  November  I  left  Teheraun.  accompanied  by  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan,  Messrs.  Taylor,  Thomson,  Glen,  Abbot,  Read,  Cara- 
pied,  and  the  Russian  Attaches.  Previous  to  my  departure,  Count 
Medem  called  at  the  British  Embassy,  and  took  leave.  I  arrived 
that  day  at  Kand,  nine  miles  from  Teheraun.  It  is  a  beautiful  vil- 
lage, with  gardens.  On  the  8th  of  November  we  came  to  Sunghur- 
Abad,  thirty-eight  miles  from  Teheraun.  It  belongs  to  Haje  Mirza 
Aghasee. 

On  the  9th  of  November  we  reached  Sepher-Khoja.  A  curious 
incident  happened  when  I  arrived.  Assaad  Ullah  Beyk,  who,  when  I 
was  at  Bokhara,  was  slave  to  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  also  arrived  in  this 
village.  He  ransomed  himself  for  ninety  tillahs,  though  the  Nayeb 
had  never  bought  him;  and  besides  all  this,  the  poor  fellow  was 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  319 

obliged  to  give  him  a  shawl  worth  one  hundred  tillahs.  I  confess  that 
I  supposed  him  acquainted  with  the  Nayeb's  design  to  kill  me  by  as- 
sassins,  and  that  I  believed  him  to  be  one  of  them ;  but  he  quickly 
undeceived  and  assured  me,  that  Abdul  Samut  Khan  had  not  treated 
him  better  than  me.  Assaad  Ullah  Beyk  was  now  the  Shah's  Chap, 
aree  (postman),  and  was  going  to  collect  money  at  Khoy. 

November  10th.  Reached  Casween  with  Mullah  Mehdee, — an  inu 
mense  town ;  but,  on  account  of  lack  of  water,  and  of  the  plague, 
thinly  inhabited.  Formerly,  numerous  Jews  dwelt  there,  who  were> 
transported  to  Sabzawar,  Nishapoor,  and  Torbad  in  Khorassaun.  It 
was  formerly  a  royal  residence.  The  Governor,  a  very  kind  man, 
received  me  in  his  house,  and  treated  me  most  hospitably.  On  No- 
vember 14th  we  reached  Sultanieh,  built  by  the  Shah  Khoda  Banda. 
A  splendid  mausoleum  is  here. 

On  the  18th  of  November  I  arrived  at  Sanjoon,  built,  according  to 
Jewish  tradition,  by  Ahasuerus.  There  is  a  Georgian  there,  Yakoob 
Khan  by  name,  who  is  in  the  service  of  the  Persian  army,  and  occu- 
pies the  situation  of  Colonel.  He  practices  secretly  the  Christian 
religion,  and  has  all  his  children  baptized  ;  and  as  his  wife  was  just 
confined  he  requested  me  to  baptize  the  child,  which  I  did  ;  and  Mullah 
Mehdee,  my  baptized  convert,  was  godfather.  I  pressed  upon  Yakoob 
Khan  the  duty  of  confessing  the  name  of  Christ  publicly  ;  upon  which 
he  begged  me  to  recommend  him  to  the  Queen  of  England,  in  order 
to  be  made  a  Colonel  in  the  British  army.  Then  he  said  he  would  imme- 
diately go  to  England,  profess  openly  Christianity  in  the  Colonel's  uni- 
form, and  sword  in  hand.  I  could  not  give  him  any  encouragement.  I 
found  there  another  young  Georgian,  who  told  me,  if  I  did  not  take 
him  on  to  England,  and  put  him  in  the  way  to  make  money,  he  would 
turn  Mussulman  in  spite  of  me.  I  told  him  he  was  welcome  to  do  so. 

On  the  20th  we  arrived  at  Gul-Teppa.  On  the  road  towards  that 
place  I  met  with  the  American  missionaries,  Perkins  and  Stocking.  I 
asked  them  where  they  came  from.  Mr.  Perkins  said,  "You  are  Dr. 
Wolff,  I  guess."  Stocking  said,  "  Yes,  I  know  him  :  it  is  Dr.  Wolff, 
if  I  guess  right."  We  were  not  able  to  talk  much,  from  the  heavy 
fall  of  snow. 

On  the  24th  of  November  I  was  taken  so  ill  on  horseback,  that  I 
vomited  immensely,  and  was  also  seized  with  a  terrible  shivering ;  I 
therefore  sent  immediately  the  Gholam  of  Colonel  Shiel,  who  accom- 
panied me,  to  Tabreez,  to  Mr.  Bonham,  Her  Britannic  Majesty's  Con- 
sul-General.  As  he  had  no  Takhtrawan  (litter)  himself,  he  procured 
me  that  of  one  of  the  principal  Armenians  of  Tabreez.  Mr.  Bonham, 
Her  Britannic  Majesty's  Consul-General,  and  his  most  amiable  lady, 


320  NARRATIVE   OP   THE   MISSION 

received  me  not  only  with  hospitality,  but  with  great  cordiality.  I 
baptized  their  child,  born  while  I  was  at  Bokhara.  Through  the  kind 
care  of  Dr.  Casolani,  the  medical  gentleman  of  Prince  Bahman  Mirza, 
I  was  partially  restored  to  health.  After  which  Mr.  Bonham  gave  a 
public  dinner  on  my  account,  to  which  he  invited  Monsieur  Osroff,  and 
the  Russian  Attaches,  and  all  the  Greek  and  Armenian  gentlemen. 
Mr.  Osroff  gave  a  dinner  in  return,  and  told  me  that  he  had  orders 
from  his  Government  to  give  me  every  assistance  in  case  that  I  in- 
tended  to  go  "via  Russia."  Mr.  Osroff  also  told  me  that  he  had  been 
private  secretary  to  Prince  Galitzin,  late  Minister  of  Public  Instruc- 
tion ;  and  in  perusing  the  private  correspondence  of  that  statesman, 
he  frequently  met  with  my  name,  and  an  honourable  description  of  my 
pursuits. 

I  also  was  introduced  by  Mr.  Bonham  to  His  Royal  Highness  Bah- 
man  Mirza,  Prince  Governor  of  Tabreez  and  the  whole  province  of 
Azerbijan.  He  is  brother  to  the  present  King.  He  wrote  for  me  the 
following  autograph,  of  which  I  subjoin,  from  its  length,  the  transla- 
tion only ;  and  he  also  made  me  a  present  of  an  emerald  ring,  worth 
thirty  pounds. 

Translation  of  a  Letter  from  His  Royal  Highness  Bahman  Mirza,  Prince  Gov- 
ernor of  the  Province  of  Azerbijan,  Persia,  addressed  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  Wolff, 
LL.D.  $c. 

As  at  the  time  of  the  victory  and  dominion  of  the  army  of  the  great  state  of 
England  in  the  Affghaun  countries,  two  officers  of  that  magnificent  and  powerful 
monarchy  were  lost  at  the  seat  of  Government  of  Bokhara,  and  there  were  no  signs 
of  them  ;  in  the  year  of  the  Hijrah  1259,  His  Excellency,  endowed  with  acuteness 
and  knowledge,  a  chief  among  the  nobles  of  the  Christians,  and  a  pillar  among  the 
learned  of  the  religion  of  the  Messiah,  Priest  Joseph  Wolff,  who  belongs  to  the  great 
and  noble  of  that  religion,  and  who  is  familiar  and  acquainted  with  every  language, 
— the  excess  of  his  learning,  and  the  extremity  of  his  magnanimity  and  research, 
outweighing  in  this  business  the  sacrificing  of  his  life  and  property, — that  he  might 
arrive  at  the  truth  of  this  news,  he  accounted  the  trouble  of  this  very  dangerous  jour- 
ney, in  which  the  first  step  is  taking  leave  of  life,  more  agreeable  than  remaining  at 
ease.  And  hi  this  long  journey,  which  in  every  road  of  it,  from  the  brigands  of  the 
tribes  of  Yemout  and  Turkomaun,  and  of  the  Septs,  with  crooked  languages,  of  Tar- 
tary,  may  be  considered  as  going  out  of  the  world,  he  trusted  his  own  single  person 
to  the  step  of  diligence,  until,  after  a  thousand  kinds  of  afflictions,  he  accomplished 
the  object  which  he  had.  In  truth,  undergoing  such  hardships  is  beyond  the  endu- 
rance of  every  one.  Now  that  hi  the  latter  end  of  the  year  of  the  Hijrah  1260,  he 
has  returned,  and  arrived  at  the  beat  of  Government  of  Tabreez,  it  was  necessary 
for  us  to  write  an  account  of  the  extent  of  his  hardships,  which  we  have  seen  and 
heard  of,  hi  this  our  own  hand  writing,  that  in  every  state  and  in  every  country  it 
may  tend  to  the  increase  of  his  consideration  and  honour.  And  we  further  order  the 
governors  and  lords,  and  nobles  and  chiefs  of  the  country  of  Azerbijan,  at  every  sta- 
tion and  in  all  journeys  at  the  time  of  his  passing,  to  take  care  of  the  aforesaid  priest, 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  321 

and  treat  him  with  kindness  and  honour.    Also,  if  after  this  he  returns  to  Azerbijan, 
they  must  act  according  to  this  order. 

Written  in  the  month  of  Zeekada,  A.H.  1260,  answering  to, 
from  12th  Nov.  to  llth  Dec.,  A.D.  1844. 

The  Russian  inhabitants  of  Tabreez,  as  well  as  Greeks,  together 
with  the  English,  observed  that  it  would  be  a  perfect  disgrace  for  the 
British  Government  to  let  the  matter  of  the  murder  of  Stoddart  and 
Conolly  sleep,  as  there  was  no  doubt  that  they  were  both  political 
agents,  sent  by  Government,  and  that  Conolly  went  to  Bokhara  by 
direction  of  Colonel  Stoddart.  To  prove  that  this  notion  is  correct, 
I  give : 

I.  Extracts  from  a  letter  of  Captain  J.  Conolly,  brother  to  the  de- 
ceased officer,  to  a  relative. 

Arthur  starts  in  a  few  days  for  Kokan.  His  mission  will  be  an  interesting  one, 
and  the  objects  of  it  you  will  learn  by  reading  a  correspondence  which  Arthur  intends 
sending  you.  ****** 

The  fortunate  Envoy  is  Arthur.  His  route  will  be  across  the  desert  to  Khiva,  and, 
if  circumstances  permit,  to  Bokhara.  He  has  the  prospect  of  gaining  great  laurels. 
Sir  A.  Burnes  was  first  offered  the  appointment,  but  declined  the  embassy ;  and  Sir 
William  said  that  he  could  hardly  dispense  with  his  services  from  this  place  (Cabul). 
Arthur  will  no  doubt  write  to  you  shortly  about  his  mission. 

II.  The  following  correspondence  from  Colonel  Stoddart : 

July,  1841. 

Conolly  returns  back,  you  have  probably  read,  and  is  likely  to  accompany  me 
hence,  and  has  been  placed  at  my  disposal,  so  far  as  calling  upon  him  to  return  by 
this  line  goes. 

*  *  *  *  I  have  availed  myself  of  Captain  Conolly's  visit  here  to  propose  to 
the  Ameer  to  send  me  off,  as  Captain  Conolly  has  orders  to  stop  here  if  the  Ameer 
wishes. 

The  above  evidence  is  quite  sufficient  to  prove,  that  it  cannot  con- 
duce to  the  honour  of  the  British  Government  to  let  this  question  slum- 
ber as  it  has  done.  Affghanistaun  and  Bokhara  have  broken  through 
that  charm  that  bound  down  the  Deeves  and  Afrits  of  these  regions, 
as  powerful  as  the  fabled  virtue  of  the  Seal  of  Solyman.  It  is  well 
that  the  chivalric  valour  of  a  Napier  in  Scinde,  a  Government  like 
Lord  Ellenborough's,  one  meteor  flash,  dazzling  and  confounding, 
now  startles  the  East ;  but  let  reverses  come,  and  see  then  whether 
the  two  hundred  millions  of  our  Indian  empire  will  not  break  from 
the  charm  that  has  bound  them  astance  for  nearly  a  century.  The 
question  is  a  matter  of  indifference  as  to  envoys  or  officers.  I  am  of 
the  wise  man's  opinion  of  old :  That  form  of  Government  is  best, 
"  where  an  injury  done  to  the  meanest  subject  is  an  insult  to  the  whole 
community." 

41 


322  NARRATIVE   OF   THE  MISSION 

He  spoke  of  insult  ;  I  speak  of  murder.  What  country,  I  ask,  has 
such  facility  to  vindicate  her  honour,  to  preserve  the  life  of  every  one 
of  her  meanest  subjects,  as  England.  To  say  nothing  of  her  officers, 
her  distinguished  officers,  I  might  add  more,  her — «but  I  forbear  to  use 
that — that  gives  the  climax  to  our  shame.  I  speak  not  of  the  past  j 
I  inculpate  no  one ;  I  leave  that  to  others ;  but  I  do  demand,  Can 
matters  rest  thus  ?  Are  we  to  allow  this  foul  blot  on  the  scutcheon 
of  national  honour  ? 

The  Persians  here  visit  the  following  holy  places :  1st.  Kerbelai, 
near  Bagdad,  where  Imaum  Hussein  is  buried.  2nd.  Kasemein,  near 
Kerbelai,  where  is  the  sepulchre  of  Kasem.  3rd.  Meshed,  where  is 
the  tomb  of  Imaum  Resa.  After  a  visit  to  these  towns,  a  person  re- 
ceives the  appellation  of  Kerbelai,  Meshedee,  or  Kasemein.  I  joked 
frequently  with  them,  and  said,  as  I  had  been  at  Meshed,  they  ought 
to  call  me  Meshedee  Youssuf  Wolff.  But  after  they  have  made  the 
pilgrimage  to  Mecca  and  Medina,  they  drop  these  appellations,  and 
become  Haje,  like  the  rest  of  the  Muhammedans. 

A  considerable  feud  now  prevails  between  the  Persians  and  Turks ; 
for  which  reason,  as  I  have  observed,  English  and  Russian  Commis- 
sioners are  at  Erzroom,  in  order  to  prevent  hostilities.  The  dispute 
first  broke  out  on  account  of  the  frontiers ;  but  it  was  increased  by 
the  Pasha  of  Bagdad  sending  troops  to  Kerbelai,  and  massacreing  the 
Sheeahs  of  that  place,  which  will  never  be  forgotten.  I  am  very  sorry 
that  Colonel  Taylor's  conduct,  the  British  Consul-General  at  Bagdad, 
was  disapproved  of  on  that  occasion.  He  was  displaced  for  not  hav- 
ing interfered,  and  prevented  the  Turks  from  marching  to  Kerbelai. 
He  is  an  excellent  man,  and  of  astonishing  learning,  and  a  marvellous 
polyglott.  He  knows  above  twenty  languages.  However,  it  seems 
that  he  placed  too  much  reliance  on  his  Armenian  subalterns,  espe- 
cially Khatshik.  1  hope  Government  will  give  him  some  other  post. 
Government  has,  however,  greatly  to  their  honour,  sent  to  Bagdad  a 
most  extraordinary  man.  His  name  is  Major  Rawlinson,  who  has  so 
distinguished  himself  at  Candahar,  and  he  is  a  great  favourite  with 
the  Indian  Government.  He  is,  besides,  a  great  Arabic,  Persian,  and 
Turkish  scholar,  and  an  ardent  philanthropist.  It  must  have  been 
very  amusing  to  see  these  two  gentlemen,  as  I  learnt  they  did  fre- 
quently, (Colonel  Taylor  and  Major  Rawlinson,)  remaining  up  until 
three  in  the  morning,  disputing  about  some  Arabic  root,  as  my  friend 
Colonel  Farrant  related  matters  to  me.  I  hear  Major  Rawlinson  pro- 
tects admirably  the  missionaries. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  kindness  of  Colonel  Taylor,  and  the  assist- 
ance he  gave  me  when  with  him  six  months  at  Bozra,  in  the  Persian 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  323 

Gulf,  in  making  researches  amongst  the  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist, 
who  are  called  also  Mandaye  Hayah,  i.  e.  the  followers  of  the  living 
God.  They  affect  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  of  the 
brothers  of  Abraham ;  and  when  Abraham  proclaimed  the  unity  of 
the  one  God,  they  relate  the  brothers  of  Abraham  followed  him.  But 
when  Abraham  established  the  rite  of  circumcision,  they  looked  at 
him  with  horror,  and  separated  from  him.  But  they  continued  to 
worship  the  one  living  God  by  three  names ;  the  names  of  Hayah 
Kadmaya,  Hayah  Tinyana,  Hayah  Tlitaya,  i.  e.  the  living  in  the  first 
degree,  the  living  in  the  second  degree,  the  living  in  the  third  degree. 
And  when  John  the  Baptist  appeared,  they  received  baptism  by  St. 
John  in  the  Wilderness,  and  from  that  moment  they  have  had  two 
kinds  of  priests,  they  say,  the  one  called  the  Turmeda,  who  is  a  rep- 
resentative of  the  Baptist,  and  the  Ganz-Awra,  who  is  the  represent- 
ative of  Jesus  Christ.  And  the  representative  of  Jesus  Christ  is  bap- 
tized every  Sunday  by  the  representative  of  John  the  Baptist  in  the 
river  Frat,  or  Euphrates.  They  have  a  great  book,  called  Sadra 
Raba,  the  authors  of  which,  they  say,  were  Seth  and  John  the  Bap- 
tist. They  relate  that  John  the  Baptist  was  buried  at  Shuster,  the 
ancient  Susan,  in  Khuzistaun.  They  themselves  reside  in  the  fol- 
lowing places,  near  the  Euphrates :  at  Bozra,  Gorno,  Sook-al-Sheookh, 
Shustar,  and  Desbul.  Their  number  amounts  to  six  thousand.  Fa- 
ther Agatangelos,  a  Roman  Catholic  missionary,  about  one  hundred 
years  ago,  and  whose  journal  was  given  to  me  in  MS.  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  priest  at  Bussorah,  in  the  year  1824,  and  which  I  have  given 
to  the  London  Society  for  Promoting  Christianity  among  the  Jews,  re- 
lates that  he  had  made  fruitless  attempts  to  convert  the  Mandaye  to 
the  Catholic  religion  ;  but  with  the  kind  assistance  of  Colonel  Taylor, 
I  established  a  school  at  Bussorah.  Even  the  Ganz-Awra,  represent- 
ative of  Jesus  Christ,  sent  his  son  to  the  school,  who  made  great  prog- 
ress in  English. 

The  poor  Mandaye  sing,  persecuted  as  they  are  by  the  Muham- 
medans : 

We  are  oppressed  by  the  circumcised. 
Departed  from  our  eyes  is  the  timbrel  and  dance. 

They  maintain  that  Boohyra,  the  monk  at  Bozra,  who  assisted  Mu- 
hammed,  and  who  was  supposed  to  be  a  Nestorian  monk  by  the  Chris- 
tian historians,  was  a  Mandaye.  They  also  say  that,  at  the  time 
when  the  Jews  were  in  the  captivity  in  Egypt,  they  lived  with  them, 
and  were  oppressed,  like  them,  by  the  Egyptians ;  and  when  Pharaoh 
was  overwhelmed  in  the  sea,  they  emigrated  with  the  children  of  Is- 


324  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

rael  to  Mount  Sinai,  and  lived  there  in  amity  with  the  Jews.  But 
when  Joshua  re-established  the  rite  of  circumcision,  they  separated 
from  the  Jews.  It  is  very  remarkable,  that,  in  the  twelfth  chapter 
of  Exodus,  it  is  said,  that  a  mixed  multitude  went  out  with  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel ;  and  also,  according  to  Joshua,  circumcision  was  neg- 
lected in  the  desert,  and  then  re-established.  Their  language  is  Chal- 
dean. The  Ganz-Awra,  who  was  my  teacher  in  Sabsean,  and  also 
Colonel  Taylor's,  wrote  some  mysterious  characters  upon  a  part  of 
the  Governor's  wife's  body  usually  concealed  from  sight,  in  order  to 
form  a  charm  to  insure  pregnancy .;  for  which  the  Governor  gave 
orders  to  cut  off  his  right  hand,  and  he  writes  therefore  with  his  left. 
He  maintained,  that  a  great  number  of  their  sect  were  residing  in  the 
deserts  of  Faz  and  Mekanez  in  Morocco. 

Two  things  are  very  remarkable  with  respect  to  small  sects, — that 
they  always  maintain  that  great  numbers  of  their  body  are  residing 
in  distant  countries ;  so  also  the  Mandaye  assert,  and  the  Samaritans 
at  Nablooz  told  me  the  same,  that  great  numbers  of  their  people  lived 
in  London  and  Paris.  And  the  Baptists  in  England  rejoice  very 
much  to  hear  that  there  exists  a  sect  on  the  Euphrates,  who,  like 
them,  are  called  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist,  and  baptize  in  rivers. 
This  anxiety  on  their  part  indicates  Catholicity  to  be  a  natural  and 
inherent  principle. 


OP   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  325 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Two  leading  Sects  amid  Mohammedans,  Sheeahs,  and  Sunnees.  Ball  by  Mr. 
Bonham ;  Dancers  all  Gentlemen.  Death  of  Mrs.  Bonham.  Shamar  Beyk ; 
Anecdote  of  him  and  General  Neidhart.  Chaldeans  in  the  Mountains  of  Kur- 
distaun,  not  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  Dr.  Wolff  thinks,  as  commonly  asserted.  Nesto- 
rians  or  Chaldeans  ;  their  Assertion  that  they  did  not  become  Followers  of  Nesto- 
rius,  but  simply  received  him  kindly  among  them  ;  Episcopacy  hereditary  among 
them  ;  oppressed  by  the  Kurds ;  Sir  Stratford  Canning  interferes  in  their  behalf. 
Mar  Yohannan,  Bishop  of  Oroomiah  ;  his  Letter,  written  in  English.  Accurate 
character  of  Mr.  Ainsworth's  Work  on  Asia  Minor,  &c.  Armenians  of  Tabreez 
give  Dr.  Wolff  a  Public  Dinner.  Diploma  from  Bahman  Mirza  to  Dr.  Casolani. 
Daoud  Khan.  Attempt  to  abolish  Ancient  Forms  by  the  Protestant  Missionaries 
injudicious.  Edward  Burgess ;  his  unfortunate  Position ;  Letter  addressed  by  him 
to  Dr.  Wolff.  Departure  of  Dr.  Wolff  from  Tabreez.  Route — Mayoon ;  Deesa 
Khaleel ;  Tasuj ;  Sayd  Hajee ;  Khoy.  Dangerous  travelling  from  this  point. 
Robbery  of  Messrs.  Todd  and  Abbott ;  the  Kurds  compel  Mr.  Todd  to  swallow 
his  Pomatum.  Route — Soraba  ;  Karaine ;  Leyba ;  Awajick.  Snow  compels 
Dr.  Wolff  to  go  on  Horseback.  The  Pasha  of  Erzroom  sends  a  Guard  of  Honour 
for  Dr.  Wolff.  Letters  from  Colonel  Williams. 

I  SHALL  now  touch  on  a  few  points  with  respect  also  to  the  two 
leading  sects  among  Muhammedans,  the  Sheeahs,  and  the  Sun- 
nees. The  Persians  being  Sheeahs,  practise  dissimulation  whenever 
they  come  into  countries  where  the  Sunnees  are  in  power.  This  sys- 
tem of  dissimulation  is  called  by  them  Takeea.  Thus,  for  instance, 
the  Sheeahs  pray  with  their  arms  hanging  down,  like  a  soldier  when 
he  is  drilled,  and  add  the  name  of  Ali  in  their  prayers,  and  curse  five 
times  a  day  Omar,  Osman,  and  Abu-Bekr  in  their  prayers ;  but  when 
they  are  among  the  Sunnees  they  perform  their  devotions  with  their 
hands  laid  upon  their  breast,  omit  the  name  of  Ali,  and  take  care  not 
to  curse  Omar,  Osman,  and  Abu-Bekr.  A  Muhammedan  at  Meshed 
told  me  that  the  Sheeahs  were  enjoined  by  Muhammed  himself  to 
practise  Takeea  in  the  presence  of  Sunnees.  When  I  told  him,  that 
in  Muhammed's  life  the  distinction  between  Sunnee  and  Sheeah  did  not 
exist,  he  told  me  that  Muhammed  foresaw,  by  the  spirit  of  prophecy, 
that  such  a  distinction  must  arise. 

Mr.  Bonham  gave  a  ball  on  account  of  my  arrival.  He  got  the 
band  of  the  Prince  to  play  European  music,  but  the  dancers  were  not 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  but  all  gentlemen.  The  Russian  Consul-Gene- 
ral,  Mr.  OsrofF,  with  all  his  Attaches,  and  the  respectable  Greek  mer- 


326  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

chants  of  the  house  of  Ralli, — a  firm  established  at  Tabreez,  Constan- 
tinople, Marseilles,  London,  and  Manchester, — were  there.  They  put 
on  my  Turkomaun  dresses  and  the  robe  which  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara 
had  given  me.  It  was  a  most  funny  sight.  Mrs.  Bonham  kept  her- 
self in  the  other  room,  as  some  Persians  were  present. 

I  was  sincerely  grieved  when  I  heard,  after  my  departure,  of  the 
death  of  that  excellent  lady,  who  died  from  typhus  fever,  and  is  now 
removed  from  us.  She  was  one  of  the  most  pious,  sensible,  virtuous, 
and  kind-hearted  ladies  I  ever  met  with ;  exquisitely  beautiful,  with  a 
child-like  simplicity.  She  was  daughter  to  Sir  William  Floyd,  Bart., 
residing  at  Brussels.  I  shall  ever  remember  Mr.  Bonham  and  his 
sainted  lady  with  gratitude  and  delight. 

Previous  to  my  departure,  I  heard  also  at  Tabreez,  a  great  deal  of 
Shamir  Beyk,  a  mighty  chief  in  Daghistaun,  who  has  risen  up  in  bat- 
tle against  the  mighty  Emperor  of  Russia,  and  a  bloody  war  is  now 
carried  on  in  that  region.  General  WoronzofF  has  been  sent  against 
him ;  and  though  the  conflict  is  obstinate,  and  the  mountaineers  sup- 
ported by  Polish  officers,  there  is  no  doubt  entertained,  that,  at  last, 
Shamir  Beyk,  though  a  gallant  fellow,  must  give  in  to  the  Giant  of 
the  North.  I  heard  a  curious  anecdote  of  this  Chief  and  General 
Neidhart,  Governor-General  of  Georgia. 

General  Neidhart  issued  a  proclamation  to  the  following  purport ; 
that  whosoever  would  bring  the  head  of  Shamir  Beyk  should  receive 
as  much  gold  as  the  head  weighed.  Shamir  Beyk,  on  hearing  of  it, 
sent  a  letter  to  General  Neidhart,  expressing  to  His  Excellency  his 
gratitude  for  the  high  compliment  he  had  paid  his  head,  by  setting 
so  high  a  value  on  it ;  but  on  his  part  he  regretted  he  could  not  return 
the  compliment,  since  he  could  assure  His  Excellency  that  he  would 
not  give  a  straw  to  any  one  who  would  deliver  his  (General  Neid- 
hart's)  head  to  him  (Shamir  Beyk). 

A  few  words  on  the  Chaldeans  in  the  mountains  of  Kurdistauri. 
These  Chaldeans,  as  the  late  lamented  Dr.  Grant  well  observed,  are 
of  Jewish  origin,  though  I  cannot  go  so  far  as  to  affirm  that  they 
are  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  since  they  do  not  know  their  own  genealogy. 
They  are  now  mostly  Christians,  and  a  number  of  them,  converted  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  have  their  patriarch  at  Diarbekr. 

The  real  Chaldeans,  also  called  Nestorians,  had  a  patriarch,  Mar 
Shemaun  by  name,  who  resided  until  the  last  year  only  at  Khojanes. 
They  protest,  however,  that  they  are  not  Nestorians,  and  they  said  to 
me,  in  the  year  1825,  when  I  visited  them  at  Salmast  and  Oroomia, 
"  Nestorius  came  to  us  and  we  received  him  kindly,  but  we  never 
took  him  as  our  guide,  but  as  our  brother  in  Christ."  They  resem- 


OF    DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  327 

ble  mostly  the  Protestants  of  Germany  and  England,  for  they  have 
neither  images  nor  monasteries,  and  their  priests  are  married.  The 
episcopal  dignity,  however,  is  hereditary,  as  well  as  that  of  the  Pa- 
triarch, and  at  the  time  the  mother  of  the  patriarch  becomes  pregnant, 
she  abstains  from  drinking  wine  and  eating  meat;  and  in  case  that  a 
son  is  born,  he  is  the  patriarch,  and  if  a  daughter,  she  is  obliged  to 
observe  eternal  virginity.  They  are  now  sorely  pressed  by  the  Kurds ; 
several  thousands  of  them  have  been  slain  by  the  Kurds,  and  many 
wounded,  which  atrocities  were  committed  at  the  instigation  of  the 
Pasha  and  Cazi  of  Mosul ;  but  this  was  too  much  for  the  great  Sir 
Stratford  Canning  to  allow.  He  interfered  at  the  Porte,  and  the  Cazi 
and  Pasha  of  Mosul  were  summoned  to  appear  before  the  Sultan ; 
and  the  gallant  Colonel  Turner  was  sent  to  the  Kurds  to  investigate 
matters,  and  Mr.  Stevens,  the  British  Vice-Consul  of  Samsoon,  was 
sent  to  redeem  the  Chaldean  slaves  made  by  the  Kurds,  in  which  he 
was  very  successful.  My  excellent  friends,  Colonel  Williams  and 
Mr.  Brant,  at  Erzroom,  were  also  employed  by  Sir  Stratford  Canning 
to  obtain  the  protection  of  the  late  excellent  Pasha  of  Erzroom,  for 
the  Chaldean  Christians,  Haje  Kamil  Pasha,  not  only  Pasha  of  Erz- 
room, but  Seraskier  for  all  Kurdistaun.  And  he  did  so  effectually, 
but  the  Porte  showed  in  that,  as  in  everything  else,  her  imbecility  and 
total  unfimess  for  Government,  by  recalling  that  excellent  Pasha  after 
my  departure  from  Erzroom,  and  sending,  as  his  successor,  to  Erz- 
room a  most  miserable  creature. 

Mar  Yohannan,  Bishop  of  Oroomia,  called  on  me  at  Tabreez.  He 
is  a  gentleman  of  much  intelligence,  and  had  learned  English  from 
the  American  missionaries,  and  has  visited  America.  He  wrote  to 
me  a  letter,  which  reached  me  in  London,  and  which  I  insert  just  as 
it  came. 

My  dear  and  beloved  Friend,  Oroomiah,  March  %7th,  1845. 

I  have  much  pleasure  to  write  letters  to  you,  but  I  could  not  find  good  time. 
I  greatly  desire  to  see  you  and  to  speak  with  you.  I  hope  you  will  not  forget  me ; 
will  you  remember  me  with  your  prayers  in  your  churches,  when  you  pray  for  tho 
people.  Your  prayers  will  be  a  blessing  to  us,  and  will  guide  us  to  heaven  ;  they 
will  be  light  to  our  way.  I  wrote  another  letter  for  the  Lord  Bishop  of  London.  If 
you  please  you  will  write  me  answer,  that  I  may  know  ;  I  want  to  come  to  your 
country,  and  to  see  your  people.  If  you  please  I  will  bring  with  me  two  or  three 
boys  that  may  learn  your  language,  they  know  little  the  English.  My  dear,  we 
made  covenant  with  each  other  at  Theran  that  we  shall  go  together  to  London  ;  you 
left  me  at  Tabreez,  you  went.  I  hope  now  you  will  send  me  letter  about  my  going 
to  your  country.  May  the  Lord  bless  you  with  all  his  blessings  in  the  kingdom  of 

Your  affectionate  Friend, 

MAR  YOHANNAN,  Bishop  of  Oroomiah. 


328  NARRATIVE   OF    THE   MISSION 

The  letter  is  in  itself  fully  indicative  of  the  simple  character  of 
these  Chaldean  Bishops.  I  am  pleased  to  find  that  Mr.  Ainsworth 
agrees  with  me  that  the  Chaldeans  are  not  Nestorians,  and  the  details 
in  his  admirable  work  are  such  as  may  be  fully  relied  on,  for  I  have 
confirmed  by  personal  experience  a  large  portion  of  the  matter  in  his 
highly  interesting  volumes,  entitled,  Travels  and  Researches  in  Asia 
Minor,  Mesopotamia,  Chaldea,  and  Armenia. 

The  principal  Armenians  of  Tabreez  also  gave  me  a  public  din- 
ner, to  which  the  Consul-General,  Mr.  Bonham,  and  the  rest  of  the 
English  inhabitants  of  Tabreez,  and  the  Russian  Consul-General, 
with  the  Russian  authorities,  were  invited. 

I  must  here  also  express  my  thanks  to  Dr.  Casolani,  a  Maltese 
physician,  who  recovered  me  from  a  second  dangerous  attack  of  bil- 
ious fever.  Dr.  Casolani  is  nominated  Physician  to  the  Prince  Gov- 
ernor, Bahman  Mirza,  by  a  diploma  to  the  following  curious  purport : 

A  Royal  Order, — That  since  the  sagacity,  the  acuteness,  the  science,  the 
excellence  of  the  high  in  dignity,  exalted  station,  having  sincerity  and  candour, 
being  endowed  with  judgment  and  penetration,  the  great  among  the  nobles  of 
Christendom,  Mr.  Casolani,  English  Physician  and  Surgeon,  has  been  proved  in  the 
receptacle  of  the  honourable  mind,  and  revealed  to  the  illustrious  and  royal  under- 
standing, particularly  at  this  time,  as  the  cures  which  he  has  performed  in  this  place 
have  all  been  marked  with  wisdom  and  science,  and  the  remedies  which  he  has  made 
use  of  in  this  country  have  been  profitable  to  and  effective  in  every  constitution  and 
temperament,  it  was  necessary  that  we  should  attach,  particularly  to  ourselves,  a 
person  of  this  kind,  who  was  celebrated  and  lauded  for  his  approved  skill.  There- 
fore, in  this  year  of  Loo-eel,  of  happy  indication,  we  have  enrolled  the  high  in 
station  above  mentioned  in  the  rank  of  our  followers,  and  in  reward  for  this  service, 
we  have  granted  and  bestowed  three  hundred  tomans  in  the  way  of  salary  to  the 
above-mentioned  high  in  rank  ;  that  he  may  receive  and  take  it  every  year ;  that 
he  may  use  it  for  his  expenses  and  spend  it  for  his  disbursements ;  that  with  tran- 
quillity and  repose  he  may  accomplish  the  cure,  and  administer  remedies,  as  may 
happen  to  the  Royal  Chief  and  his  princely  children,  and  according  to  the  extent 
of  his  skill  he  may  be  diligent  in  examining  and  considering  our  constitution,  so  that 
the  Royal  favour  may  daily  increase. 

The  Honourable  Secretaries  of  State  will  take  a  copy  of  the  date  of  this  Order, 
and  consider  it  as  obligatory. 

I  visited  again  Daoud  Khan,  a  Colonel  in  the  Russian  service.  He 
is  a  genuine  Georgian,  and  as  such  is  not  very  fond  of  the  Armenians. 
He  informed  me  what  I  knew  before,  for  I  was  in  Georgia  in  the 
year  1825,  that  the  native  Jews  in  Georgia  are  slaves  to  the  country 
gentlemen  of  Georgia,  or,  as  those  country  gentlemen  are  called, 
Kenyaz.  The  first  of  these  is  the  Prince  of  Kenyaz  Aristow,  at 
Suran ;  the  second,  Kostantil,  at  Mukhram  Battone ;  and  the  third, 
Prince  Kalavantan,  at  Sekwee.  I  give  these  names,  as  the  Jews'  So- 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  329 

ciety  may  feel  disposed,  probably,  to  send  some  agents  there.  The  dig- 
nitaries  in  the  Georgian  Church  have  the  following  degrees :  1,  Diacon ; 
2,  Odeli  (Priest) ;  3,  Behse  (Monk) ;  4,  Dacanoggi  (Dean) ;  5,  Zi- 
nam  Jawaree  (Bishop) ;  6,  Katalikos  (Archbishop). 

It  will  be  in  vain  for  Protestant  missionaries  to  attempt  to  abolish 
forms  among  the  Eastern  Christians.  We  seem  to  forget  that  the  hu- 
man mind  is  like  fluid  matter,  which  can  only  attain  permanency  in 
a  vessel ;  therefore  Dr.  Grant,  Whiting,  and  Goodell,  perceived  that, 
and  left  all  forms  unaltered.  I  must  also  note  here,  that  Dr.  South- 
gate,  American  Episcopal  missionary  at  Constantinople,  has  gained 
the  affection  of  the  Armenian  Bishop  at  Constantinople,  by  his  wise 
conduct  in  this  particular. 

I  must  not  forget  also  to  name  an  interesting  and  unfortunate 
young  gentleman  at  Tabreez,  whose  name  is  Edward  Burgess,  well 
acquainted  with  the  Persian  language.  This  excellent  young  gentle- 
man is  employed  by  Prince  Bahman  Mirza,  as  translator  of  the  Eng- 
lish Newspapers.  His  brother  was  employed  by  the  Persian  Govern- 
ment, and  sent  by  them  with  several  thousand  tomauns  to  England  to 
buy  merchandize,  and  poor  Edward  Burgess  remained  guarantee  for 
his  brother's  honour.  His  brother  most  shamefully  neglected  to  re- 
deem his  honour,  and  abandoned  Edward  to  the  consequences  of  his 
generous  devotion.  He  is  therefore  detained  in  Persia  for  his  brother 
the  defaulter.  The  poor  man  would  be  in  the  utmost  distress  if  Mr. 
Bonham  and  the  Russian  Consul-General,  and  the  Greek  merchants, 
did  not  do  all  in  their  power  to  serve  him.  He  told  me,  with  tears 
in  his  eyes,  that  he  had  written  four  times  to  Colonel  Sheil  without 
receiving  any  answer  from  him,  though  he  had  written  to  him  offi- 
cially as  a  British  subject.  Such  a  matter  ought  to  be  settled,  since, 
in  a  country  like  Persia,  nothing  is  more  probable  than  that  at  the 
death  of  the  King  Burgess  would  be  sold  as  a  slave.  I  am  exceed- 
ingly pained  to  be  obliged  to  say  such  things,  for  the  forwarding  the 
second  letter  of  the  Shah  to  Bokhara  by  Colonel  Sheil,  certainly 
saved  my  life ;  but  I  am  only  one,  and  I  was  recommended  power- 
fully ;  but  an  ambassador  ought  to  take  an  interest  in  the  meanest 
subject.  The  translation  of  Prince  Bahman  Mirza's  letter,  given 
above,  is  by  him,  and  he  enclosed  it  to  me  in  the  following  kind  note, 
which  I  insert. 

My  dear  Sir,  Tabreez,  8th  February,  1845. 

I  sent  the  translation  of  the  letter  the  Prince  wrote  to  you  by  a  courier  of 
the  French  Mission,  who  started  on  the  1st  of  January  ;  I  trust  that  it  reached  you 
safely.  I  did  not  write  to  you  when  I  sent  that  translation,  because  I  had  very  little 
notice  of  the  courier's  departure.  I  hope  the  translation  will  please  you ;  I  have 

42 


330  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

made  it  as  near  the  Persian  as  possible  to  make  sense  of  it,  and  I  endeavoured,  as 
much  as  our  language  will  allow,  to  preserve  the  idiom  of  the  Persian ;  you  who 
are  acquainted  with  the  latter  language  know  how  difficult  that  is.  The  title  "  Ex- 
cellency," which  is  given  to  you  in  the  letter,  may  appear  strange  in  Europe,  but  it 

is  the  only  translation  I  could  give  to  the  word  i— 'Lies*  (Jenaub).     In  this  country 

it  is  only  used  to  priests  of  high  rank  and  ambassadors,  and  has  always  been  trans- 
lated as  I  have  done.  One  of  the  Government  secretaries  attached  to  the  Prince 
told  me  that  His  Royal  Highness  had  given  you  this  title  because  he  understood  you 
had  high  clerical  rank  in  England,  and  therefore  he  wished  to  give  you  the  same 
title  and  respect  as  was  usual  in  addressing  their  own  Mahomedan  priesthood. 

You  no  doubt  have  heard  of  the  melancholy  death  of  poor  Mrs.  Bonham ;  she 
died  on  the  30th  of  December,  after  an  illness  of  only  five  days. 

I  hope  that  this  will  find  you  safely  passed  through  all  your  difficulties ;  we  heard 
of  your  arrival  at  Erzeroom,  but  that  you  were  unwell ;  no  doubt,  ere  this  reaches 
you,  you  will  again  have  returned  home,  and  had  a  happy  meeting  with  your 
family. 

It  was  just  as  well  you  started  when  you  did,  for  the  winter  has  been  most  severe ; 
I  believe  nearly  two  hundred  people  have  perished  in  the  snow  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  this  town,  besides  those  who  have  been  lamed  and  crippled ;  the 
snow  in  many  places  was  drifted  level  with  the  walls  of  the  vineyards  which  sur- 
round the  town,  and  the  thermometer  stood  at  ten  degrees  below  Zero,  or  forty-two 
degrees  of  frost.  It  was  almost  like  living  in  a  place  that  was  besieged ;  they  were 
so  constantly  bringing  us  in  news  of  men  being  lost.  For  the  last  ten  days  the 
weather  has  been  milder,  and  to-day  and  yesterday  we  have  had  quite  warm  spring 
days,  and  the  ice  and  snow  is  fast  disappearing. 

I  am,  my  dear  Sir, 

Your  obedient  Servant, 

EDWARD  BURGESS. 

At  last  I  determined  on  my  departure  from  Tabreez.  Mr.  Osroff, 
the  Russian  Consul-General,  gave  me  a  third  dinner,  and  made  me  a 
present  of  a  Takhtrwan  (litter) ;  for  being  ill  I  could  not  ride  on  horse- 
back. I  left  Tabreez  on  the  9th  of  December.  Bonham,  Osroff,  Dr. 
Casolani,  Daoud  Khan  the  Armenian,  all  the  Russian  Attaches  and 
the  Greek  merchants,  accompanied  me  a  long  distance.  Dr.  Caso- 
lani's  brother  accompanied  me  even  to  Khoy.  All  the  Europeans 
cheered  me  heartily  on  my  departue,  with  many  a  hearty  Hurra. 

On  the  evening  of  the  9th  we  slept  in  a  village  called  Mayoon, 
eight  English  miles  from  Tabreez.  On  the  10th  we  went  to  Deesa 
Khaleel,  twenty-four  English  miles  from  the  last  place.  On  the  llth 
we  reached  Tasuj,  twenty-four  miles.  On  the  12th,  Sayd  Hajee, 
twenty- four  miles.  On  the  13th  we  arrived  at  Khoy,  a  considerable 
town  in  former  times,  but  almost  entirely  destroyed  by  an  earthquake. 
It  is  now  in  great  confusion,  for  there  is  a  Governor  there,  and  besides 
him  a  brother  of  the  Haje,  the  Prime  Minister,  who  also  pretends  to 
be  Governor,  does  everything  in  despite  of  the  real  Governor ;  and 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO    BOKHARA.  331 

Prince  Bahman  Mirza,  Prince  Governor  of  Azerbijaun,  does  not 
dare  to  keep  him  in  order,  from  fear  of  offending  his  brother  the  Haje. 

I  stopped  then  in  the  house  of  a  Persian,  for  whom  I  had  a  letter 
from  the  Armenians  of  Tabreez,  till  the  15th,  when  I  set  out  for 
Perea,  always  in  the  Takhtrwan,  for  my  excessive  weakness  and 
biliousness  did  not  allow  me  to  ride  on  horseback.  Here  the  great 
danger  of  travelling  begins,  by  reason  of  the  Kurds,  who  attack  every 
traveller,  and  who  attacked,  some  years  back,  Messrs.  Todd  and 
Abbott,  and  robbed  them  of  everything  they  had.  After  they  had 
stripped  poor  Todd  of  everything,  they  took  away  his  pomatum.  They 
asked  him  what  it  was,  when  he  said  that  it  was  butter  ;  they  tasted 
it,  but  as  they  did  not  like  it,  they  forced  poor  Todd  to  demolish  sundry 
pots  of  it.  I  am  told  that  he  cannot  endure  bacon  ever  since,  and  he 
was  so  disgusted  with  the  country,  that  he  took  a  tremendous  oath  not 
to  remain  in  Persia ;  and  he  actually  left  Persia,  where  he  was  hand- 
somely paid,  and  returned  to  Constantinople,  where  he  was  Attache" 
without  pay,  but  minus  pomatum,  until  he  became  Attache  in  Han- 
over. 

I  have  this  account  from  high  authority,  no  less  than  his  bosom 
friend,  Mr.  Layard,  who  goes  into  the  full  details  of  everything,  and 
does  not  leave  a  tittle  unfathomed.  I  learn  that  Mr.  Todd  published 
something  about  me ;  which  compliment  I  beg  leave  to  pay  him  in 
return.  He  is,  however,  an  excellent  person,  notwithstanding  all  this. 

On  the  16th  December  we  arrived  at  Soraba,  twenty-four  English 
miles  from  Khoy.  The  cold  was  intense,  and  my  biliousness  increased. 
Snow  had  begun  to  fall.  However,  we  continued  our  journey,  and  we 
arrived  at  Karaine,  where  eight  Armenian  families  are  residing,  who 
are  exceedingly  dirty ;  but  as  they  were  well  acquaintad  with  the 
road,  I  agreed  with  one  of  them  to  accompany  me  as  far  as  Erzroom, 
in  order  that  he  might  everywhere  prepare  lodgings  among  the  Arme- 
nians, for  as  my  health  was  precarious,  I  wished  to  stay  in  Christian 
houses,  so  that  if  I  should  die  I  might  be  decently  buried  and  in  a 
Christian  manner.  After  I  had  agreed  with  him  to  give  him  two 
ducats  to  Erzroom,  and  his  victuals,  the  priest  who  had  recommended 
him  told  him  that  he  should  not  allow  him  to  go  except  I  gave  him 
something  for  his  recommendation.  Though  I  am  rather  partial  to 
the  Armenians  in  general,  I  must  say  that  the  Armenian  priesthood 
around  Tabreez  and  Khoy,  together  with  those  priests  of  the  Chaldean 
nation  who  have  been  converted  to  Romanism,  and  who  reside  at  Sal  mast, 
Bashgala,  Khosrowa,  and  Oroornia,  are  most  depraved,  and  generally 
perform  the  office  of  Ruffiani  to  Europeans  who  are  of  a  gay  disposi- 
tion. I  gave  that  Armenian  priest  something  for  the  permission  to 


332  NARRATIVE    OF   THE    MISSION 

depart  with  his  Neophyte.  A  few  miles  distant  from  Karaine  is  an 
Armenian  convent,  called  Tatus  Arrakel,  which  means  Thaddeus  the 
Apostle,  for  it  is  believed  that  the  Apostle  Thaddeus  preached  there. 
That  convent  contains  about  six  priests,  who  are  called  Wardapiet. 

We  were  detained  at  Karaine  by  a  Kulagh.  We  then  arrived  at 
Seyba,  seven  miles  distant.  As  it  snowed  too  hard,  and  natives  •  were 
actually  frozen  to  death  that  day,  I  was  compelled  to  keep  the  house, 
where  the  Armenian  whom  I  had  taken  with  me  thoroughly  disgusted 
me  by  his  dirty  habits.  The  filthiness  of  that  fellow  was  almost  in- 
conceivable. 

On  the  20th  December  we  set  out  for  Awajick,  the  last  frontier 
town  of  Persia.  Khaleefa  Kouli  Khan,  the  governor  of  that  place,  re- 
ceived me  very  kindly,  and  he  again  asked  me  particularly  whether 
I  had  heard  anything  of  Me  Neil  Saheb  and  Campbell  Saheb.  I  met 
with  a  very  curious  circumstance  in  his  house.  I  saw  there  a  Per- 
sian servant  of  Colonel  Farrant,  of  Erzroom,  by  whom  he  was  sent 
away  and  in  irons  from  Erzroom  to  Persia,  in  order  to  receive  con- 
dign punishment  by  the  Haje  of  Teheraun.  He  entered  my  room 
with  his  feet  in  irons,  striking  them  together,  and  then  sat  quietly 
down,  and  smoked  a  galyoon,  and  asked  me  several  questions  with 
great  arrogance.  After  having  inquired  the  reason  of  his  being  iron- 
ed, I  ordered  him  to  leave  the  room,  which  he  did.  I  was  obliged  to 
leave  my  Takhtrwan  behind,  on  account  of  the  prodigious  snow,  and 
I  had  now  to  ascend  the  mountains  of  Armenia,  and  therefore  was 
obliged  to  go  on  horseback. 

Khaleefa  Kouli  Khan  went  some  distance  with  me  himself,  and  sent 
twelve  horsemen  on  with  me  who  had  orders  to  accompany  me  as  far 
as  Ghizl-Deesa,  fifteen  miles  from  Awajick,  in  the  Sultan's  dominions. 
Arriving  there,  I  found  a  cavass,  i.  e.  a  guard  of  honour,  sent  there 
already  twenty-four  days  previous  by  his  Excellency  the  Pasha  of 
Erzroom,  Haje  Kamil  Basha,  with  a  welcome  letter  of  my  dear  friend 
Colonel  Williams,  who  informed  me  that  I  should  find  there  the  gal- 
lant and  cordial  Colonel  Farrant,  and  that  on  my  approach  to  Erz- 
room they  should  come  out  to  me  and  give  me  three  cheers ;  at  the 
same  time  reminding  me  of  my  promise  to  stay  with  him,  and  not 
with  my  friend  Mr.  Brant,  the  British  Consul.  How  cheering  was 
this  to  me  !  Would  to  God  he  had  been  at  Teheraun  on  my  return 
there,  for  certainly  he  would  have  made  an  example  of  Dil  Assa 
Khan  and  of  Haje  Ibrahim  ! 


OF   DR.   WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Route — Ghizl-Deesa;  Utsh  Kelesea.  Nierses,  the  Katokhikos  of  the  Armenian 
Church.  Efforts  of  Czar  to  unite  Armenian  and  Russian  Churches.  Route — 
Yuntsh  Aloo ;  Kara  Klesea ;  Mullah  Suleiman  ;  Seydekan.  Dr.  Wolff  injured 
by  a  Fall  from  his  Horse.  Route — Dehli  Baba ;  Komassur ;  Kopre  Koy ;  Hassan 
Kaleh.  Letters  from  Colonel  Williams  and  Mr.  Brant.  Letter  of  Colonel  Wil- 
liams to  Captain  Grover.  Arrival  at  Erzroom.  Dreadful  Sufferings  of  Dr.  Wolff. 
Kindness  of  Colonel  Williams,  Mr.  Brant,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Redhouse  to  Dr. 
Wolff.  Letter  of  Dr.  Casolani.  Ambassador  from  Bokhara  to  England  arrives 
at  Erzroorn.  Letter  from  Sir  Stratford  Canning.  Interview  of  Dr.  Wolff,  Mr. 
Brant,  Colonel  Williams,  and  Colonel  Farrant,  with  Kamil  Pasha ;  Kamil  Pasha's 
Statement  to  them  of  his  Interview  with  the  Ambassador  from  Bokhara  to 
England.  Departure  from  Erzroom.  Route — Mey  Mansoor  ;  Saaza  ;  Massad  ; 
Beyboot ;  Jaajee  Koy ;  Gumush  Khane" ;  Artasa ;  Yerkopri ;  Yeseer  Oglu. 
Letter  from  Mr.  Stevens. 

WE  set  out  for  Ghizl-Deesa,  and  proceeded  on  to  Diadeen.  On  our 
way  thither  the  heavens  were  clear ;  not  a  cloud  visible  until  we  had 
passed  between  two  mountains  covered  with  snow,  when  suddenly  the 
wind  blew,  from  both  sides  apparently,  and  drove  from  both  summits 
masses  of  snow  into  our  faces.  The  cavass  seized  hold  of  the  rope  of 
my  horse,  and  giving  a  spur  to  his  own,  said,  "Let  us  try  to  get 
through  that  horrid  pass  as  fast  as  possible ;  if  not  we  shall  be  buried 
in  the  snow,  for  here  is  the  Kulagh."  After  a  few  minutes  ride  the 
sky  was  covered  with  mists,  which  kept  back  the  wind,  and  thus  we 
came  safely  through  the  dangerous  pass,  and  arrived  at  Diadeen. 
There  is  more  danger  in  these  countries  when  the  sky  is  clear  than 
when  surrounded  with  thick  mists. 

On  the  23rd  we  arrived  in  the  Armenian  convent  of  Utsh  Kelesea, 
i.  e.  Three  Churches,  of  which  I  have  already  given  a  description,  for 
I  have  been  twice  there.  In  that  convent  I  found  an  ancient  MS.  of 
the  Bible  in  the  Armenian  tongue,  and  my  friend  J.  H.  Frere  will  be 
glad  to  learn  that,  on  his  account,  I  looked  particularly  at  Daniel  viii. 
14,  in  which  the  number  two  thousand  four  hundred  is  found.  Thus 
the  Hebrew  MS.  at  Bokhara,  at  Adrianople,  and  Utsh  Kelesea  confirm 
his  hypothesis.  Utsh  Kelesea  is  situated  near  the  Moorad,  i.  e.  Eu- 
phrates. The  convent  is  placed  at  the  very  back  of  a  mountain,  and 
we  cross  the  Moorad  by  a  bridge,  so  that  in  winter  it  is  exceedingly 
cold,  and  there  is  almost  a  continual  Kulagh.  The  superior  informed 
me,  what  I  knew  before,  that  the  great  Nierses,  formerly  Archbishop 


334  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

of  Tiflisj  was  exiled  by  Paskewitsh  to  Bessarabia,  on  account  of  his 
inflexible  character,  and  refusal  to  cede  any  rights  of  the  Armenian 
Church.  The  Emperor  Nicholas,  however,  showed  his  good  sense  by 
proposing  Nierses  to  the  Armenian  Church,  as  a  candidate  worthy  of 
being  chosen  as  Katokhikos  at  Ech-Miazin.  I  knew  Nierses  when  at 
Tiflis  in  the  year  1825.  He  was  a  venerable  man,  learned  in  the  Ar- 
menian language,  and  even  in  Russian.  His  whole  mind  was  ab- 
sorbed in  the  great  attempt  of  reviving  in  his  nation  the  spirit  of  Nier- 
ses Shnorhaale  and  Nierses  Lampronazi.  He  tried  to  reform  his  na- 
tion without  imbuing  them  with  a  spirit  of  German  Neology.  He 
established  schools  for  his  nation  in  all  parts  of  Georgia,  and  the  wri- 
tings of  Mesrop  are  read,  and  those  of  Nierses  Shnorhaale  and  Moses 
Korinaze.  In  these  addresses  he  reminds  his  countrymen  that  they 
are  descendants  of  King  Abgar,  who  corresponded  with  our  Lord. 
He  had  his  nation  instructed  not  only  in  the  Armenian  language,  but 
also  in  the  Russian  literature. 

The  great  Nikolaus  has  hopes  to  unite  the  Armenian  Church  with 
the  Russian ;  and  though  I  consider  it  to  be  a  Scriptural  principle  that 
the  Sovereign  ought  to  be  the  Head  of  the  Church,  I  think  that  he  will 
find  it  a  difficult  matter  to  carry.  All  attempts  among  Protestants  to 
establish  a  union  have  proved  abortive ;  and  not  only  that,  but  Chris- 
tian communities  who  have  lived  in  peace  among  themselves  have 
been  disunited  as  soon  as  a  direct  attempt  was  made  to  establish  a 
stricter  union  among  them ;  so,  for  instance,  the  so-called  Evangelische 
Kirche,  i.  e.  the  Swiss  Confession,  lived  in  perfect  harmony  together 
until  the  late  King  of  Prussia  made  an  attempt  to  unite  both  together  ; 
then  even  the  great  Professor  Creutzer,  at  Heidelberg,  and  others,  rose 
against  it.  Thus  the  attempt  to  establish  a  union  between  the  Greek 
and  Anglican  Church  has  failed ;  and  thus  also  the  attempt  lately 
made  of  uniting  the  Lutheran  Church  with  the  Church  of  England 
will  fail — yea,  has  failed  already.  The  best  mode  of  uniting  Chris- 
tian Churches  is,  to  give  each  other  assistance  in  those  things  which 
the  Christian  Churches  are  in  want  of,  and  to  show  good  will  to- 
ward  each  other ;  and  thus,  by  each  branch  trying  in  its  own  com- 
munity to  promote  a  spirit  of  holy  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
promotion  of  His  kingdom,  and  by  each  branch  displaying  a  holy  emu- 
lation in  the  practice  of  Christian  virtues,  the  best  union  is  established. 
And,  I  ask,  is  there  union  within  the  pale  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  ?  I  ask,  is  there  any  union  between  the  Roman  Catholics  ? 
Even  before  Ronge  was  excited  to  an  open  protest  against  the  Coat  of 
Treves,  the  schools  of  Hermes,  Sailer,  Gosner,  were  as  much  opposed, 
not  only  to  Rome,  but  even  to  the  school  of  Klee,  and  even  more  than 


OP   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  335 

the  Lutherans  and  Evangelicals  are.  I  ask,  is  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary of  Prague,  where  Caspar  Royke,  Bolzano,  and  Peszel  taught,  in 
union  with  the  unity  taught  at  Rome  ?  And  is  there  not  a  distinct 
difference  made  in  Austria  between  Roman  Catholics  and  the  so-called 
Rdmlinge,  i.  e.  Romanists  ?  Why  was  Johannes  Jahn,  Professor  of 
Oriental  Literature,  openly  denounced  as  a  heretic  by  Cardinal  Seve- 
roli  ?  I  ask  further,  are  the  theological  schools  in  Italy  united  ? 
Whether,  for  instance,  there  is  no  difference  between  the  teaching  of 
Tamburini  at  Pavia,  and  Professor  Piatti,  formerly  Professor  of  Dog- 
matic Theology  in  the  Collegio  Romano  at  Rome  ?  And,  I  ask,  would 
Dr.  Wiseman  dare  to  teach  at  Rome  as  he  does  at  Oscott  ?  There  is 
no  union  in  the  churches,  and  no  rule  of  uniformity  will  re-establish 
that  unity ;  and  no  unity  will  be  re-established  until  the  coming  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  reign  upon  earth  j  then  the  nation  shall  go 
up  to  Jerusalem,  and  one  language  shall  be  spoken. 

I  stopped  at  the  convent  of  Utsh  Kelesea  one  day,  and  was  kindly 
treated  by  the  monks.  On  the  24th  we  arrived  at  Yuntsh  Aloo, 
twenty-five  English  miles  from  Utsh  Kelesea.  Here  a  priest  informed 
me  that  the  Armenian  Liturgy  was  composed  by  Nierses,  Mesrop, 
Yeknisha,  and  Isaac,  in  the  fourth  century.  On  the  25th  (being 
Christmas  day)  we  arrived  at  Kara  Klesea,  inhabited  also  by  Arme- 
nians, who  were  very  anxious  to  know  whether  the  English  people 
were  united  with  the  Church  of  Rome  or  not.  I  gave  them  a  full 
account  of  that  point.  I  wished  to  set  out  that  same  day  for  Mullah 
Suleiman,  but  I  was  overtaken  by  a  shower  of  snow,  which  compelled 
me  to  return,  and  I  was  so  weakened  besides,  that  I  sent  on  an  ex- 
press messenger  to  Colonel  Williams,  telling  him  of  my  approach. 

On  the  27th  I  set  out  for  Mullah  Suleiman.  The  hatred  subsisting 
between  the  Armenians  and  the  Armenian  Catholics  cannot  be  de- 
scribed. The  Armenian  servant  I  had  with  me,  and  an  Armenian 
priest,  who  came  with  me,  actually  refused  to  go  with  me  to  the  house 
of  the  Armenian  Catholic  priest,  and  rather  preferred  leaving  me  and 
going  to  the  house  of  a  Muhammedan. 

From  thence  we  went  to  Seydekan,  five  English  miles.  I  was  de- 
tained there  also  by  the  snow.  The  Armenians  there  are  so  dirty, 
that  it  would  be  actually  indecent  to  describe  it.  On  the  30th  Decem- 
ber, we  arrived  on  the  Mount  of  Taher,  and  as  I  wished  to  get  fast 
through  the  mountain,  and  was  afraid  of  being  overtaken  by  a  Kulagh, 
I  spurred  my  horse  forward,  but  I  got  a  violent  fall,  and  the  horse  fell 
with  me,  so  that  I  was  taken  up  senseless,  and  brought  bound  on  the 
horse  to  Kurd  AH,  inhabited  by  Kurds,  and  stopped  in  the  house  of 
Hassan  Aga.  The  present  Pasha  of  Erzroom  has  inspired  terror 


336  NARRATIVE   OF   THE   MISSION 

among  the  Kurds  in  his  immediate  vicinity,  and  therefore  I  was  civilly 
treated,  but  left  in  a  stable  with  cows  and  horses.  Most  of  the  Kurds 
in  villages  wear  no  turbans,  but  large  caps  dropping  behind,  like  the 
Maltese.  Their  language  is  a  most  horrid  corruption  and  mixture  of 
Turkish  and  Persian,  and  therefore  the  proverb  is  current  among  the 
Persians : 

Arabee  wasi  ast 
Farsee  shereen  ast 
Turkee  hunur  ast 
Kurdee  Khar  ast 

Which  means  Arabic  is  an  extensive  language  ;  the  Persian  sweet ; 
the  Turkish  powerful ;  the  Kurdish  donkey-tongue. 

On  the  31st  December  we  arrived  at  Dehli  Baba,  which  has  one 
Armenian  church  and  three  priests.  On  January  1st,  we  slept  at 
Komassur.  On  the  2nd  of  January  we  reached  Kopre  Koy,  where  it 
was  horridly  cold ;  and  from  thence  to  Hassan  Kaleh,  where  I  was 
hospitably  received  by  the  Turkish  Governor,  who  delivered  to  me 
the  following  kind  letters  from  Colonel  Williams  and  our  Consul : 

My  dear  Dr.  Wolff,  Erzeroom,  3rd  January,  1845. 

Pray  persevere  and  come  into  Erzeroom ;  it  would  be  madness  to  take  medi- 
cine so  near  us.  We  will  nurse  you,  and  put  you  all  to  rights  in  a  few  days.  Brant 
sent  you  some  wine,  which,  after  all,  may  be  bad  for  you.  I  will  ride  out  to  the  first 
tillage  this  afternoon  ;  pray  therefore  take  courage  and  come  along ;  we  are  all 
eady  for  you,  and  if  you  are  to  be  laid  up,  we  are  to  be  your  nurses. 

Ever  yours  truly, 

W.  F.  WILLIAMS. 

Erzeroom,  2nd  January,  1845, 
My  dear  Wolff,  Thursday  Evening. 

I  am  glad  you  are  so  near  us.  I  received  your  note  from  Dahar,  and  asked 
the  Pasha  to  send  out  a  Takhtravan  or  a  sledge  ;  he  sends  out  a  man  to  order  the 
Woyvoda  of  Hassan  Kaleh  to  pay  you  every  attention,  and  to  furnish  you  with 
either  a  Takhtravan  or  a  sledge,  both  which  the  Pasha  said  the  Woyvoda  had ; 
but  in  case  he  did  not  send,  the  Pasha  requested  you  would  wait  until  one  was  sent 
you  from  hence.  As  to  Dr.  Dickson,  he  would  willingly  have  gone  to  Hassan 
Kaleh,  had  you  been  very  ill  and  required  immediate  assistance,  but  he  thinks  you 
had  better  defer  taking  medicine  until  you  arrive  here,  therefore  lose  no  time  hi 
coming  on.  I  send  you  a  bottle  of  Marsala,  which  Dr.  Dickson  recommends  in 
preference  to  French  wine  ;  but  use  it  moderately,  it  may  perhaps  not  do  you  good. 
I  know  you  intended  to  have  taken  up  your  quarters  with  Colonel  Williams,  and 
although  I  think  you  ought  to  have  applied  to  your  old  house,  the  Queen's  Arms, 
yet  I  did  not  wish  to  thwart  your  inclination.  However,  as  you  require  nursing  and 
doctoring,  I  think  you  had  better  come  to  me,  as  you  will  get  a  more  commodious 
room  than  Colonel  Williams  can  give  you,  and  a  house  hi  which  you  will  not  be  so 
liable  to  catch  cold.  Besides,  you  will  be  nearer  the  Doctor,  who  can  more  easily 
and  frequently  visit  you  at  my  house  than  were  you  living  at  such  a  distance.  I 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA.  337 

calculate  you  will  not  reach  Hassan  Kaleh  until  Saturday  evening,  and  I  hope  you 
will  be  here  by  Sunday,  or  Monday  early. 

Thank  you  for  the  offer  of  your  services  to  bind  me  to  a  wife,  but  I  do  not  mean 
to  avail  myself  of  your  kindness  just  now.  Hoping  soon  to  welcome  you  and  see 
you  set  up  in  health  to  prosecute  your  journey, 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Wolff, 

Your  affectionate  Friend, 

JAMES  BRANT. 

To  show,  also,  the  great  interest  taken  in  my  proceedings  by  that 
eminent  philanthropist,  Colonel  Williams,  I  also  add  his  letter  to  Cap- 
tain Grove  r : 

Dear  Captain  Grover,  Erzeroom,  November  28th,  1844. 

I  have  to  thank  you  for  your  note  of  the  5th  of  September,  which,  owing  I 
presume  to  delays  at  the  Foreign  Office,  only  reached  me  by  the  Turkish  Tatar 
yesterday ;  since  that  date  you  must  have  received  my  letters  announcing  Dr.  Wolff's 
fortunate  escape  from  Bokhara,  and  his  arrival  at  Meshed ;  not,  however,  before 
you  undertook  your  benevolent  journey  to  St.  Petersburg,  from  whence  the  last 
Galignani  gives  your  return  to  London.  I  sent  the  good  old  Doctor's  journal  to  the 
Ambassador  a  fortnight  since,  under  flying  seal,  and  directed  to  you ;  no  doubt  it  is 
now  on  its  way  to  London.  By  the  Golaum  who  brought  this  lengthy  letter,  I 
received  a  private  note  from  the  gallant  Doctor,  telling  me  that  he  should  leave 
Teheraun  in  time  to  arrive  at  and  quit  Tabreez  by  the  17th  instant.  I  therefore 
sent  off  two  of  the  Governor's  Cavasses,  or  guards,  to  the  town  of  Bayazeed,  on 
the  Persian  frontier,  to  escort  the  Doctor  to  my  house.  His  Excellency  Kaimili 
Pasha  sent  letters  to  Baloul  Pasha,  the  Governor  of  Bayazeed,  enjoining  him  to 
furnish  the  necessary  Guard  through  the  Koordish  tribes,  and  His  Excellency  also 
caused  orders  to  be  addressed  to  all  the  village  Chiefs  along  the  route,  directing  them 
to  receive  Dr.  Wolff  as  his  friend,  and  to  furnish  him  with  every  thing  he  might 
require  (horses,  &c.  &c.).  I  wrote  to  Wolff  by  the  Cavasses,  so  that  he  will  be 
aware  of  all  this  kindness  on  the  part  of  our  excellent  Governor.  Although  I  have 
not  heard  of  his  arrival  at  Tabreez,  I  look  for  him  about  the  1st  of  December,  and 
will  use  my  utmost  endeavours  to  get  him  off  for  Trebizonde  on  the  4th.  Until  I 
see  him  I  shall  be  anxious  about  his  dress,  for  our  weather  is  now  as  stormy  and 
cold  as  that  through  (here)  which  he  passed  on  his  way  to  Bokhara,  and  I  fear  he 
has  been  fleeced  of  the  skins  I  rigged  for  him !  Then  his  excitement  was  equal  to 
one  great  coat ;  now  the  good  pilgrim  has  for  his  travelling  companions  regrets  for 
the  victims  of  Bokhara,  and  the  daily  misery  of  riding  and  resting  in  the  filthy 
stable-hovels  of  Armenia !  He  has  performed  a  deed  of  almost  unexampled  good- 
ness, and  I  hope  he  may  meet  with  a  commensurate  reward, — I  mean  hi  this  world. 
Whilst  I  am  writing  you  these  hurried  lines  a  storm  of  snow  is  raging  without,  and 
the  desolate  appearance  of  the  landscape  would  lead  an  Englishman  (could  he  view 
it)  to  estimate  Wolff's  courageous  task.  Next  week  I  hope  to  announce  to  you  hia 
passage  over  the  first  snowy  passes. 

Believe  me,  very  truly  yours, 

(Signed)  W.  F.  WILLIAMS 

On  Saturday,  January  4th,  I  left  Hassan  Kaleh,  and  arrived  at  the 
small  village  where  I  found  a  Takhtravan  sent  to  me  by  His  Excel- 

43 


338  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

lency  the  Kamil  Pasha  of  Erzroom,  and  Seraskier  of  Kurdistaun. 
On  the  5th  of  January  I  left  that  village  in  the  Pasha's  Takhtravan, 
and  set  out  for  Erzroom.  Colonel  Williams,  Mr.  Redhouse,  and 
Colonel  Farrant  came  out  to  meet  me.  I  was  in  such  a  state  of  de- 
bility and  nervousness,  and  so  eaten  up  by  vermin  all  over  the  body, 
that  I  was  not  able  to  walk.  Colonel  Williams  rode,  therefore,  back 
to  Erzroom  before  me,  and  ordered  immediately  a  good  Turkish  bath, 
gave  me  his  own  linen,  and  then  brought  me  to  his  hospitable  dwell- 
ing, where  I  found  my  dear  old  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Redhouse,  and 
my  old  friend  Mr.  Brant,  the  Consul,  Calvert,  Dr.  Dickson,  Mr.  Pea- 
body,  and  the  American  missionary,  who  sent  me  clothes.  Colonel 
Farrant  shook  hands  with  me  cordially.  He  is  a  fine,  open,  English 
soldier.  He  was  the  appointed  Secretary  of  Legation  to  Teheraun. 

For  five  days  poor  Colonel  Williams  was  engaged  in  putting  the 
vermin  off  my  body,  and  it  would  have  been  of  no  use  if  Dr.  Dickson 
had  not  given  me  an  ointment  to  kill  them.  I  was  not  allowed  to 
walk  about  in  the  streets,  as  they  were  covered  with  ice,  and  slippery  ; 
but  as  we  had  a  nice  terrace,  Colonel  Williams  took  me  there  every 
day,  dressed  in  Mrs.  Redhouse's  fur  cloak,  red  comforter,  fur  gloves, 
and  Mr.  Redhouse's  big  boots,  which  gave  me  the  appearance  of  a 
Russian  nobleman.  These  walks  refreshed  me  so  much,  that  it  re- 
newed in  me  the  hope,  which  I  had  given  up,  that  I  should  be  able  to 
bear  the  fatigues  of  the  last  stage  of  my  journey  by  land  to  Trebizond, 
when  the  doctor  said  the  sea  air  would  thoroughly  restore  me  to  health, 
strength,  and  good  spirits.  His  Excellency,  the  Pasha,  sent  to  me 
his  brother  to  inquire  after  the  state  of  my  health ;  and  so  did  the 
other  Turkish  authorities. 

As  I  have  already  given  a  description  of  my  dear  friends,  James 
Brant  and  Colonel  Williams,  I  must  say  only  a  few  words  of  Colonel 
Farrant,  who  was  sent  by  Government  to  Mosul,  in  order  to  ascertain 
the  reasons  of  the  massacre  of  the  Nestorian  Christians  by  the  Kurds. 
He  is  a  fine,  straightforward  fellow.  He  had  heard  a  great  deal  of 
me,  as  he  said,  and  Sir  John  Me  Neil  had  told  him  the  story  of  the  fa- 
mous wasps  which  stung  me  twenty  years  ago,  at  Bosra,  on  which  ac- 
count I  had  made  such  a  noise  in  the  house  that  I  awoke  the  whole 
family  of  Colonel  Taylor  from  sleep.  It  is  singular  that  such  an  in- 
significant story  about  the  sting  of  wasps  should  have  travelled  from 
Bosra  to  Bushire  ;  thence  to  Teheraun,  and  excited  the  attention  of 
the  great  diplomatist,  Sir  John  Me  Neil,  so  that  I  was  reminded  of  it, 
after  twenty  years,  by  Colonel  Sheil  at  Teheraun,  by  Colonel  Farrant 
at  Erzroom,  and  by  Mr.  Alison  at  Constantinople ;  and  I  dare  say,  as 
my  friend  Sir  John  Me  Neil  is  at  Edinburgh,  he  will  have  made  all 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  330 

the  scientific  societies  of  the  Athens  of  the  North  acquainted  with  it, 
and  probably  it  has  even  reached  Downing  Street. 

Mr.  Redhouse  was  formerly  Dragoman  to  the  Porte.  He  has  writ- 
ten  a  Turkish  Dictionary,  which  the  Sultan  has  ordered  to  be  printed ; 
and  has  also  published  a  Grammar  of  the  Ottoman  Language,  which 
I  think  that  every  person  who  wishes  to  be  employed  in  any  Oriental 
Embassy  ought  to  possess.  The  British  Government  should  appoint 
Mr.  Redhouse  Professor  of  the  Turkish  Literature  in  one  of  our  Eng- 
lish Universities.  I  received  at  Erzroom  the  following  melancholy 
letter  from  Tabreez,  which  nearly  overpowered  my  already  sinking 
spirits : 

Dear  Rev.  Dr.  Wolff,  Tabreez,  3lst  December,  1844. 

My  brother  desired  me  to  write  to  you  these  few  lines,  to  accompany  tho 
memorandum  book  which  you  left  in  his  charge  ;  and  at  the  mean  time  to  make 
you  acquainted  with  the  very  distressing  news  of  Mrs.  Bonham's  death,  who,  on 
the  26th,  was  attacked  by  an  eruptive  typhus  fever,  the  nature  of  which  was  so 
very  severe  that  medical  assistance  had  too  slight  an  effect ;  and  after  lingering  for 
nine  days,  expired  yesterday  morning  at  six  o'clock.  The  corpse  was  so  soon 
putrefied,  on  account  of  the  severity  of  the  fever,  that  they  were  compelled  to  inter 
it  last  night  at  midnight.  I  let  you  imagine  the  grief  that  this  catastrophe  caueed 
to  Mr.  Bonham,  and  all  the  Europeans. 

Mr.  D'Ozeroff  begged  my  brother  to  write  to  you  by  this  opportunity,  to  present 
to  you  hip  best  regards,  and  to  ask  you  whether  you  have  taken  with  you  the  parcel 
of  letters  of  recommendation  which  you  received  while  at  Tabreez  from  the  Russian 
Mission ;  should  this  be  the  case,  Mr.  D'Ozeroff  would  feel  exceedingly  obliged  to 
you,  should  you  return  them  to  him  by  the  first  opportunity,  as  Count  de  Medem 
particularly  desired  him  to  send  him  back  the  fore -mentioned  letters,  should  you 
not  undertake  your  journey  for  England  through  Russia.  My  brother  sincerely 
wishes  you  a  merry  new  year's  day,  and  many  returns  of  the  day  ;  and  so  does 

Your  most  obedient  servant, 

ROBERT  CASOLANI. 

P.S.  Your  messages,  with  which  I  was  charged,  have  been  duly  delivered.  I 
hope  you  have  till  now  quite  regained  your  lost  strength.  All  the  Europeans  send 
their  best  regards  to  you.  R.  C. 

During  my  stay  at  Erzroom,  Ameer  Abul  Kasem,  the  Ambassador 
from  Bokhara  for  Her  Majesty  Queen  Victoria,  arrived  there ;  for, 
though  he  was  told  by  Colonel  Sheil  that  he  would  not  be  received  by 
the  Court  of  St.  James,  he  nevertheless  was  determined  to  proceed  on 
his  way  to  Constantinople,  as  he  had  also  letters  for  the  Sultan. 

Previous  to  my  departure  from  Erzroom,  I  received  the  following 
kind  letter  from  Sir  S.  Canning : 

My  dear  Sir,  BuyuTcdere,  Oct.  1,  1844. 

I  hope  this  letter  will  meet  you  on  your  return  from  Bokhara ;  if  not,  tho 
Turkish  letters,  which  I  now  hasten  to  forward,  may  possibly  be  of  some  service  to 


840  NARRATIVE   OF  THE   MISSION 

you.  At  all  events,  they  will  show  the  interest  which  Turks,  as  well  as  Christian*, 
take  in  your  safety.  Her  Majesty's  Government  have  shown  a  laudable  zeal 
on  your  behalf,  by  instructing  me  officially  to  exert  myself  for  you.  I  cannot  help 
fearing,  that  if  the  former  letters  have  not  helped  you,  these  are  not  likely  to  prove 
of  much  use.  But,  at  all  events,  they  may  as  well  be  sent  to  you. 

It  must  be  consoling  to  you  to  observe  the  interest  which  you  have  generally 
inspired  ;  and  I  assure  you  that  no  persons  feel  a  larger  share  in  that  interest  than 
Lady  C.  and  myself. 

May  God  protect  you,  my  dear  Sir,  and  restore  you  to  those  who  are  capable  of 
appreciating  your  talents  and  virtues. 

Believe  me,  very  sincerely  yours, 

STRATFORD  CANNING. 

Never  shall  I  forget  my  noble  friend  Sir  S.  Canning.  I  feel  towards 
him  an  enthusiasm  that  I  never  felt  to  any  other ;  and  how  should  I 
feel  otherwise  to  one  who  has  given  a  greater  blow  to  Muhammedan- 
ism  than  any  Ambassador  ever  did  ?  With  one  word  he,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  the  great  Guizot  at  Paris,  has  overthrown  one  of  the  fun- 
damental laws  of  Muhammedanism. 

I  called,  with  Colonel  Williams,  Colonel  Farrant,  and  Mr.  Brant,  on 
His  Excellency  Kamil  Pasha.  He  told  me  that  the  Ambassador  from 
Bokhara  had  just  called  on  him,  when  he  asked  him  about  the  extent 
and  power  of  Bokhara ;  upon  which  he  gave  the  following  exagge- 
rated statement :  That  the  kingdom  of  Bokhara  was  six  hundred  far- 
saghs  in  length,  and  that  the  King  of  Bokhara  has  two  hundred  thou- 
sand regular  troops  in  continual  pay,  and  eight  hundred  pieces  of  ar- 
tillery. Kamil  Pasha  then  asked  what  had  become  of  Stoddart  and 
Conolly,  when  he  gave  the  following  lying  statement :  That  Stoddart 
had  arrived  at  Bokhara.  Soon  after  his  arrival  the  King  observed 
that  many  of  the  Serkerdeha  had  become  rebellious ;  he  inquired  into 
the  matter,  and  His  Majesty  discovered  that  Colonel  Stoddart  had  been 
the  instigator  of  the  rebellion.  With  regard  to  Conolly,  he  gave  the 
following  statement :  That  Conolly  had  been  at  Khokand  ;  when  the 
King  from  Bokhara  arrived  with  his  army  there,  that  Conolly  was 
made  a  prisoner,  and  he  did  not  know  his  fate.  He  denied  altogether 
that  he  had  been  sent  to  England,  and  simply  said  that  his  mission  was 
to  the  Sultan. 

The  evening  before  my  departure  from  Erzroom,  all  my  English 
friends,  and  also  Colonel  Dainesi,  the  Russian  Commissioner,  and 
Signor  Garibaldi,  the  Russian  Vice-Consul,  Signor  Bertoni,  and  the 
American  missionaries,  assembled  in  the  house  of  Colonel  Williams, 
where  they  dined,  and  drank  most  cordially  my  health. 

On  the  27th  January  a  cavass  from  Kamil  Pasha,  and  another 
cavass  of  Mr.  Brant,  the  Consul,  with  a  Takhtravan  driver,  arrived 


OF   DR.    WOLFF  TO   BOKHARA.  341 

at  the  door  of  Colonel  Williams.  Colonel  Williams,  Colonel  Farrant, 
Mr.  Brant,  Calvert,  Guarracino,  Garibaldi,  Bekir  Pasha,  a  Turkish 
gentleman  who  was  in  England,  mounted  their  horses,  and  I  entered 
my  Takhtravan,  and  they  accompanied  me  three  hours  to  Elijeh. 
My  kind-hearted  friends  then  took  a  hearty  leave  of  me,  embraced 
me,  and  then  returned  to  Erzroom,  whilst  I  prosecuted  my  journey 
towards  Trebizond.  Colonel  Farrant,  a  lively,  cordial  soldier,  became 
a  great  friend  of  mine,  so  that  I  called  him  my  nephew,  and  he  called 
me  his  uncle. 

I  continued  my  journey,  and  arrived,  on  the  28th  of  January,  at 
Mey-Mansoor,  inhabited  by  Mussulmans.  Oh  the  29th  we  arrived  at 
Saaza ;  on  the  30th  at  Massad.  On  the  31st  we  arrived  at  Beyboot, 
where  I  lodged  in  the  house  of  an  Armenian,  not  of  the  best  disposi- 
tion. On  the  1st  of  February  we  were  obliged  to  remain  at  Beyboot. 
Doctor  Frankfurter,  a  Jew  from  Presburg,  in  Hungary,  was  stationed 
there  by  the  Turkish  Government  as  medical  man  to  superintend  the 
place  of  quarantine.  On  the  2nd  of  February  we  arrived  at  Jaajee 
Koy.  On  the  3rd  of  February  we  arrived  at  Gumush  Khane,  where 
I  lodged  in  the  house  of  a  respectable  Turk.  He  was  an  old  man. 
His  name  was  Mustapha.  On  the  4th  of  February  we  arrived  at  Ar- 
tasa.  On  the  5th  we  arrived  at  Yerkopri.  On  the  6th  of  February 
at  Yeseer  Oglu.  I  received  at  this  place  the  following  letter  from 
Mr.  Stevens,  the  Vice-Consul  of  Trebizond : 

My  dear  Sir,  Trebizond,  6  Feb.,  1845. 

I  received  late  last  evening  your  note  from  Ardassi,  and  I  hasten  to  send  you 
out  my  cavaz,  Mehmed  Agha,  with  the  enclosed  letters,  which  have  accumulated 
here  for  you  ;  and  also  to  write  you  these  lines  to  welcome  you  back  to  Trebizond, 
where  I  hope  you  will  arrive  in  safety  to-morrow  morning.  I  shall  be  at  the  Lazzaret- 
to,  and  bring  with  me  my  colleagues.  An  apartment  is  being  prepared  for  you.  I 
presume  the  Ambassador  from  Bokhara  will  arrive  to-day. 

My  cavaz  has  orders  to  communicate  with  you,  and  place  himself  under  your  orders 
in  quarantine.  Send  him  into  the  Lazzaretto  at  least  an  hour  before  you  reach  to- 
morrow,  to  give  me  warning. 

Mrs.  Stevens  and  my  sisters  send  you  compliments. 

Yours  faithfully, 

FRAS.  J.  STEVENS. 


342  NARRATIVE   OF   THE  MISSION 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Arrival  at  Trebizond.  Folly  of  Land  Quarantine  there.  Ambassador  from  Bokhara 
arrives.  One  of  his  old  Friends  the  Makhrams  calls  on  Dr.  Wolff ;  Dr.  Wolff 
feels  reluctant  to  renew  the  Intimacy.  Visits  received  by  Dr.  Wolff  when  in 
Quarantine.  Letter  from  Colonel  Farrant.  Letter  from  Sir  Stratford  Canning. 
Bokhara  Ambassador  gets  Pratique  one  day  before  Dr.  Wolff.  Singular  Conduct 
of  the  Pasha  of  Trebizond.  Letter  from  Mr.  Brant.  Departure  for  Constantinople. 
Sinope  and  Samsoon.  Arrival  at  Constantinople.  Dr.  Wolff  preaches  on  board 
the  Virago.  Letter  from  Sir  Stratford  Canning.  Dr.  Wolff  waits  upon  Their 
Excellencies  Sir  Stratford  and  Lady  Canning.  Letter  from  the  Honourable  Mr. 
Wellesley.  Kindness  of  the  Legation.  Letter  from  the  Reverend  H.  D.  Leeves. 
Arrival  of  seven  Franciscan  Friars  at  Constantinople,  expelled  from  Russia  for 
their  refusal  to  take  the  Oath  of  Allegiance  to  the  Czar.  Sympathy  excited  for 
them.  Power  of  the  Romish  Church  greatly  curtailed  by  the  Czar.  Letter  from 
Sir  Stratford  Canning.  Visit  to  Saint  Sophia.  The  Missionaries  call  on  Dr. 
Wolff.  Schauffler ;  his  extraordinary  Acquirements  in  Language.  Kindness  of 
Count  Sturmer.  Sir  Stratford  Canning  induces  Sultan  to  abolish  Punishment  of 
Death  for  Apostacy ;  the  Declaration  of  the  Porte.  Introduction  of  Dr.  Wolff  to 
the  Grand  Vizier,  the  Reis  Effendi,  the  Shekeeb  Effendi,  and  the  Sheikh  Islam. 
Introduction  to  Greek  Patriarchs.  Liturgies  of  St.  Chrysostom,  St.  Basil,  and  St. 
Gregory.  The  Patriarch  visits  Dr.  Wolff.  Dr.  Wolff  preaches  at  the  Legation,  and 
in  other  Places.  Kindness  of  Lady  Canning.  Letter  from  the  Honourable  Mr. 
Wellesley.  Dr.  Wolff  embarks  for  England.  Arrives  at  Smyrna.  Meets  there 
Lord  Clarence  Paget  and  the  Reverend  H.  D.  Leeves.  Quarantine  at  Malta.  Lord 
Lorton  visits  Dr.  Wolff  in  Quarantine.  The  Bishop  of  Gibraltar  also  sees  him  in 
Quarantine.  Then  sails  for  Gibraltar  ;  on  his  arrival  there  receives  Letters  from 
the  Governor,  Sir  Robert  Wilson,  and  the  Reverend  Dr.  Burrow.  Reaches  South- 
ampton on  April  9th ;  meets  there  Captain  Grover,  Lady  Georgiana,  and  his 
Son.  Starts  for  London.  Returns  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  his  Preservation 
in  Trinity  Church,  Gray's  Inn  Road.  Public  Meeting  at  Exeter  Hall.  Noble 
Character  of  Captain  Grover.  Letter  from  the  Reverend  R.  W.  Stoddart,  Vicar 
of  Hundon.  Conclusion. 

I  ARRIVED  on  the  7th  of  February  at  the  place  of  quarantine  at 
Trebizond.  It  is  strange  to  hear  of  quarantine  on  land  ;  and  it  is 
one  of  the  most  foolish  things  I  ever  heard  of,  for  until  a  caravan  ar- 
rives at  Trebizond,  it  must  have  touched  all  the  neighbouring  places, 
which  are  not  in  quarantine.  All  the  answer  I  can  give  is,  that  all 
the  attempts  of  the  Turks  at  civilization  appear  farcical.  A  room 
was  assigned  to  me  close  by  the  Ambassador  of  Bokhara.  He  did 
not  himself  come  near  me,  but  what  is  very  extraordinary,  a  Makh- 
ram  sent  after  us  by  the  Ameer  called  on  me,  and  he  told  me  that  he 
believes  that  the  Nayeb,  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  will  have  met  with  his 


OF  DR.   WOLFF  TO   BOKHARA.  343 

deserts  already,  or  will  certainly  meet  with  punishment  shortly.  I 
confess  that  I  was  not  easy  in  his  company  ;  though  I  know  that  peo- 
ple will  think  that  I  had  imaginary  fear,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  confess 
it.  For  one  thing  must  be  observed,  which  I  have  omitted  to  mention 
in  speaking  of  Bokhara ;  that  the  King  and  Abdul  Samut  Khan  are 
connected  with  the  people  called  the  Ismaelee,  whom  he  sends  for 
some  great  purposes  always  to  murder  people  whom  he  suspects,  like 
the  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain,  the  chief  of  the  Assassins.  Thus,  for 
instance,  one  of  his  Serkerdeha,  whom  he  suspected,  and  who  had 
fled  to  Shahr-Sabz,  was  murdered  in  the  palace  of  the  Khan  of 
Shahr-Sabz,  and  the  head  was  brought  in  triumph  to  Bokhara  two 
months  before  my  arrival.  It  was  said  that  he  was  suspected  to  have 
been  a  friend  of  Stoddart. 

I  have  already  adverted  to  the  circumstance  that  one  of  the  Ameer's 
brothers  was  murdered  at  Khokand,  and  another  at  Orenbourg,  and 
besides  this,  that  Makhram,  whose  name  was  Shereef  Sultaun,  when- 
ever he  came  to  me,  desired  me  to  send  away  my  servants.  It  may 
be  objected  that  the  Ameer  would  not  do  such  a  thing,  for  he  would 
put  in  jeopardy  his  own  Ambassador ;  but  to  this  I  answer,  such  an 
argument  is  quite  ridiculous,  for  a  savage  like  the  Ameer  does  not  care 
a  straw  for  the  life  of  his  Ambassador.  It  may  be  objected  also,  that 
the  Nayeb  would  not  do  such  a  thing,  for  he  is  in  the  power  of 
the  Ameer ;  but  to  this  I  answer,  that  it  remains  still  to  be  seen  wheth- 
er the  Ameer  will  put  to  death  the  Nayeb  or  the  Nayeb  the  Ameer. 
Both  are  bent  upon  each  other's  destruction,  and  the  self-interests  of 
both  cause  each  to  delay  the  execution  of  the  deed. 

During  my  stay  in  the  quarantine,  I  was  visited  by  the  English, 
Turkish,  and  Russian  Consuls,  and  also  the  excellent  American  mis- 
sionaries, Messrs.  Benjamin  and  Bliss,  who  all  of  them  sent  me  daily 
European  dinners,  and  visited  me  daily :  and  during  my  stay  in  the 
quarantine,  I  received  a  letter  from  Colonel  Farrant,  which  I  subjoin. 

My  dear  Doctor,  Erzeroom,  3lst  January,  1845. 

I  write  you  a  few  lines  to  enquire  after  my  good  old  uncle's  health,  and  hope 
sincerely  this  may  find  you  safe  and  sound  at  Trebizonde.  We  all  miss  you  very 
much  here.  No  news  from  Persia.  Our  Gholam  arrived  in  twenty -seven  days 
from  Teheran,  and  was  twelve  days  between  Turcomanchaie  and  Tikmedash. 
What  a  lucky  escape  you  had.  Bonham  writes  me  that  he  is  broken  and  destroyed 
and  takes  his  little  boy  home  in  May.  I  see  the  book  you  expected  has  arrived 
here  for  you.  Good  bye,  my  dear  Doctor,  I  wish  you  health  and  every  good,  and 
a  happy  meeting  with  Lady  Georgiana  and  Master  Charles  Henry  Drummond,  and 
that  your  severe  trials  may  meet  with  their  just  reward,  for  you  have  performed  a 
long  and  perilous  journey.  God  bless  you. 

Always  yours  most  sincerely,  J.  FARRANT. 


344  NARRATIVE    OF   THE   MISSION 

Mind  you  do  not  tell  the  riddle,  "  My  first  it."  *  *  *  We  have  had  no  earth- 
quakes since  you  left.  Mollah  Medhee  sends  a  million  selaams,  and  begs  me  to  tell 
you  that  those  two  turquoise  rings  were  sent  you  by  the  Chief  Priest's  brother  of 
Meshed.  Adieu ;  take  care  of  yourself.  J.  F. 

On  another  occasion  the  following  reached  me  from  Sir  Stratford 
Canning : 

My  dear  Sir,  Constantinople,  February  7,  1845. 

I  had  much  pleasure  in  receiving  your  letter  from  Erzroom,  and  I  congratu- 
late you  most  cordially  on  having  surmounted  with  so  much  fortitude  the  many 
difficulties,  privations,  and  dangers  with  which  you  have  had  to  contend  in  the  course 
of  your  benevolent  and  bold  enterprise.  It  is  well  that  men  of  your  generous 
character  should  be  under  the  special  safeguard  and  direction  of  Providence. 

We  shall  be  happy  to  see  you  here,  and  to  assist  in  rendering  your  pause  at 
Constantinople  gratifying  and  comfortable  to  you.  I  understand  that  you  are  to  put 
up  at  the  Southgates,  though  I  know  not  how  this  is  to  be  managed  in  the  absence 
of  the  Bishop. 

The  box  of  shawls  has  never  reached  us ;  if  it  had,  Lady  Canning  would  have 
had  much  pleasure  in  forwarding  it  without  availing  herself  of  your  kind  permission. 

Dr.  Bennett  has  abandoned  for  the  present  his  thoughts  of  retiring.  I  understand 
that  your  converted  friend  has  returned  to  Meshed,  and  I  think  Colonel  Williams 
has  counselled  you  wisely  hi  that  respect.  I  do  not  wonder  at  your  expressing 
yourself  so  strongly  in  favour  of  the  Colonel.  He  has  always  taken  the  strongest 
interest  in  you.  With  every  good  wish  from  Lady  Canning  and  the  children,  I  beg 
you  will  believe  me,  very  sincerely  yours, 

STRATFORD  CANNING. 

One  day  before  our  pratique,  the  Bokhara  Ambassador  received  his, 
as  he  had  entered  one  day  before  me.  During  his  stay  in  the  quarantine, 
he  received  every  day  his  victuals  from  the  Pasha,  Abdullah  by  name, 
who,  a  few  weeks  before  my  arrival,  was  forced  by  the  Porte  to  make 
an  apology  to  the  British  Vice-Consul  in  person,  for  having  grossly 
insulted  him.  This  person  differed  widely  from  the  former  Pasha  of 
Erzroom.  He  cannot  conceal  his  hatred  against  Christians,  and  espe- 
cially Europeans  ;  and  therefore,  whilst  he  treated  the  Bokhara  Am- 
bassador with  all  distinction,  he  took  not  the  slightest  notice  of  me. 

I  must  give  an  instance  in  point,  to  illustrate  the  character  of  the 
Bokhara  Ambassador.  He  had  left  Bokhara  with  seven  attendants. 
With  these  he  reached  Teheraun.  To  my  greatest  surprise  he  arrived 
at  Trebizond  with  four-and-twenty.  He  managed  this  in  the  following 
manner.  He  collected  at  Bokhara  several  of  the  Bokhara  and  Khiva 
merchants,  whom  he  told,  "  If  you  pay  me  a  certain  sum  of  money,  I 
shall  get  your  merchandise  free  into  Bokhara."  On  my  arrival  at 
Constantinople  I  told  the  Vizier  and  the  Reis  Effendi. 

I  omitted  to  give  the  following  characteristic  letter  from  our  consul 
at  Erzroom. 


OF   DR.   WOLFF  TO   BOKHARA.  345 

My  dear  Wolff,  Erzeroom,  31st  January,  1845. 

I  hope  you  this  morning  started  from  Baiboot,  and  you  ought  to  be  at 
Trebizond  on  the  evening  of  the  5th  February.  I  shall  be  very  anxious  to  hear 
that  you  have  got  on  in  comfort ;  a  man  reported  you  well  at  Maimansoor.  Tho 
second  evening  I  feared  you  would  not  get  to  Khoshappoonah.  Do  get  to  England 
as  fast  as  you  can,  and  do  not  daudle  at  Trebizond  and  Constantinople.  Once  with 
Lady  Georgiana  you  will  be  happy  and  comfortable,  and  will  be  properly  attended 
to ;  and  I  trust  you  will  soon  regain  your  health,  and  forget  the  cut-throats  of  Bok- 
hara. Write  to  me  when  you  are  at  home,  and  let  me  know  where  your  living  is 
situated,  for  I  shall  one  day  come  and  see  you.  Remember  me  to  our  excellent 
kind  friend  David  Baillie. 

God  bless  and  preserve  you,  my  dear  old  fellow,  and  restore  you  to  your  wife  and 
child,  and  may  you  enjoy  many,  many  years  of  health  and  comfort  in  a  snug  living, 
and  after  a  long  life  of  usefulness  may  you  descend  honoured  to  the  grave,  soothed 
by  the  recollection  of  a  well-spent  life  and  the  opening  hopes  and  prospects  of  a 
better.  With  sincere  respect  and  esteem,  believe  me,  my  dear  Wolff, 

Your  affectionate  friend, 

JAMES  BRANT. 

After  I  had  left  quarantine,  I  took  up  my  abode  with  Mr.  Stevens, 
from  whom  I  experienced  the  most  cordial  reception ;  and  after  having 
visited  the  Greek  Church,  I  set  out  in  an  Austrian  steamer  for  Con- 
stantinople with  Captain  Clician.  The  Bokhara  Ambassador  embark- 
ed with  his  whole  escort,  but  he  had  no  room  in  the  cabin. 

The  steamer  stopped  for  a  few  hours  at  two  remarkable  places, 
Samsoon  and  Sinope,  in  Paphlagonia.  Amisus  is  the  ancient  name 
of  Samsoon,  which  was  colonized  by  the  Athenians,  and  embellished 
by  Mithridates,  taken  by  Lucullus,  then  by  Antony,  ruined  by  the 
tyrant  Strabo,  again  exalted  by  Augustus  after  the  victory  near  Acti- 
um.  Both  places,  Sinope  as  well  as  Samsoon,  were  governed  after 
this  by  the  son  of  Isphandiar,  then  taken  by  Bayazid  the  Lame,  then 
by  Bayazid  the  Lightning.  Khasee  Thselebe,  nephew  of  Khayaz 
Adden,  of  the  Seljuck  dynasty,  was  master  of  Sinope.  He  carried 
on  piracy  against  the  Genoese.  There  are  in  both  places  many  mines, 
and  both  places  are  inhabited  by  Greeks  and  Turks,  and  Muhamme- 
dans  of  Greek  origin,  who  in  secret  profess  the  Greek  religion.  Sinope 
is  the  birthplace  of  Diogenes.  An  interesting  account  of  both  places 
is  given  by  Joseph  Von  Hammer,  in  his  History  of  the  Ottoman 
Empire. 

I  left  Trebizond  on  the  20th,  and  arrived  at  Constantinople  on  the 
23rd  February.  The  moment  I  arrived  in  the  harbour  of  Constanti- 
nople, the  steamer  Tagus  was  sailing  for  England,  and  as  Her  Majes- 
ty's ship  Virago  was  there,  commanded  by  Captain  Otway,  I  sent  a 
note,  announcing  my  arrival,  without  knowing  him  personally.  He 
immediately  sent  a  boat  after  me  with  a  midshipman,  and  as  it  was 

44 


346  NARRATIVE   OF   THE  MISSION 

Sunday,  I  preached  in  Her  Majesty's  ship  Virago  to  the  officers  and 
crew ;  and  scarcely  had  I  done  preaching,  before  the  following  note 
came  from  my  dear,  dear  friend,  Sir  Stratford  Canning. 

My  dear  Sir,  British  Embassy,  Sunday,  February  23,  1845. 

I  rejoice  to  hear  that  you  arrived  at  Constantinople  this  morning,  and  hope 
that  you  are  well  enough  to  partake  of  our  dinner  to-day  at  seven.  Come  to  us  if 
you  can,  and  afford  me  an  opportunity  of  saying  in  person  how  cordially  I  congratu- 
late you  on  your  providential  escape  from  so  many  dangers  and  perilous  fatigues. 

Believe  me,  faithfully  yours, 

STRATFORD  CANNING. 

When  I  had  finished  preaching,  breakfasted,  and  received  a  shaving 
from  one  of  the  sailors,  I  called  on  their  Excellent  Excellencies  Sir 
Stratford  and  Lady  Canning.  Her  Ladyship  at  once  told  me  that 
she  had  prepared  a  room  in  the  palace  for  me,  but  as  a  new  Attache, 
Mr.  Douglas,  had  arrived,  her  Ladyship  could  not  receive  me  in  the 
palace,  but  had  taken  rooms  for  me  in  the  Hotel  d'Angleterre,  where 
all  my  expenses  should  be  paid.  At  Mr.  Misiri's,  the  British  Hotel,  I 
met  Lord  Clarence  Paget,  Lord  Maidstone,  Lord  Anson,  Mr.  Rash- 
leigh,  M.P.,  Mr.  Ponsonby,  Mr.  Hammond,  &c. 

On  the  24th  of  February  I  received  the  enclosed  letter  of  the  4th 
February,  from  the  Honourable  Mr.  Wellesley,  First  Secretary  to  the 
Legation. 

Dear  Sir,  Pera,  February  24,  1845. 

Although  I  have  not  the  advantage  to  be  personally  known  to  you,  I  trust 
that  your  acquaintance  with  my  mother  will  excuse  my  setting  aside  all  forms,  and 
proposing  to  you  to  come  and  dine  with  me  to-morrow  at  seven  o'clock.  It  will  give 
Mrs.  Wellesley  and  myself  the  greatest  pleasure  to  have  this  opportunity  of  making 
your  acquaintance. 

Believe  me,  dear  Sir,  very  faithfully  yours, 

H.  WRLLESLET. 

I  give  these  documents  to  show  the  great  spirit  of  kindness  and  af- 
fection which  warmed  every  breast  in  the  Legation,  from  its  distin- 
guished chief  downwards,  to  a  humble  individual  like  myself. 

The  last  communication  I  ever  received  from  an  individual  whose 
virtues  made  me  as  proud  of  his  acquaintance  as  that  of  any  of  the 
most  distinguished  parties  here,  my  late  lamented  and  beloved  friend, 
the  Reverend  H.  D.  Leeves,  chaplain  of  Athens,  I  give  at  length. 

My  dear  Dr.  Wolff,  Smyrna,  March  15,  1845. 

Hearing  that  you  are  in  the  neighbourhood,  I  write  you  a  line  to  congratulate 
you  sincerely  upon  your  escape  from  the  perils  of  your  adventurous  journey,  and  to 
say  that  I  hope  I  shall  soon  do  the  same  in  person,  together  with  my  daughter  Mary 
Anne.  We  are  here  together  on  our  way  to  Syria  and  Jerusalem,  and  are  staying 
at  the  hospitable  house  of  Mr.  Lewis,  We  learn  that  you  come  down  here  by  the 


OF   DR.    WOLFF   TO   BOKHARA.  347 

boat  which  leaves  Constantinople  on  Monday,  and  will  therefore  be  here  on  Wed- 
nesday, and  I  was  charged  by  Mr.  Lewis  this  morning  to  say,  that  he  meant  to  write 
to  you,  but  as  I  proposed  doing  so  on  my  coming  into  town,  he  has  charged  me  to 
say,  that  he  hopes  on  your  arrival  you  will  come  up  to  Boujah,  and  take  up  your 
quarters  with  him.  This  I  hope,  also,  you  will  do,  as  we  shall  then  be  under  the 
same  roof,  and  be  together  during  our  stay.  We  cannot  leave  for  Syria  till  the  27th, 
and  you,  I  suppose,  will  like  to  halt  here  for  a  short  tune  before  you  proceed  to 
England. 

I  shall  send  this  to  the  care  of  the  Ambassador,  from  whom  as  well  as  from  Lady 
Canning  you  are  I  doubt  not  receiving  every  kindness  and  assistance.  With  every 
good  wish,  and  expecting  very  soon  to  shake  you  by  the  hand, 

I  am,  dear  Wolff, 

Yours  affectionately, 

H.  D.  LEEVES. 

Seven  Franciscan  friars  arrived  at  Constantinople,  who  were  ex- 
pelled  from  Russia  for  having  refused  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance 
to  the  Emperor.  Great  sympathy  was  excited  among  the  Roman 
Catholics  at  Constantinople  about  them.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
Papal  power  has  received  a  blow,  and  will  receive  a  still  mightier,  in 
the  Russian  Empire. 

I  received,  on  the  1st  of  March,  the  following  letter  of  Sir  Stratford 
Canning : 

Dear  Sir,  Pera,  Saturday,  March  1,  1845. 

Your  letters  shall  be  duly  forwarded  when  the  messenger  goes.  If  I  thought 
you  would  be  ready  with  your  sermon — a  regular  church  discourse — to-morrow,  I 
would  willingly  propose  to  Dr.  Bennett  to  lend  you  the  pulpit  then,  without  waiting 
for  another  week ;  but  I  have  not  yet  seen  the  Doctor ;  the  rain  has,  perhaps, 
detained  him  in  the  country. 

I  understand  that  you  wanted  a  firman  for  travelling  with ;  but  if  you  go  away 
by  sea,  how  can  you  want  a  firman  ? 

With  respect  to  the  dedication  of  your  Journal,  my  name,  if  you  really  desire  it, 
is  at  your  service  ;  but  I  should  like  to  see  the  record  of  so  much  humanity  and 
resolution  placed  under  the  auspices  of  a  nobler  or  a  brighter  name. 

I  think  you  told  me  that  you  are  to  dine  with  the  Russian  Envoy  to-day.  I  hope 
we  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  at  dinner  to-morrow. 

Believe  me,  dear  Sir, 

Faithfully  youre, 

STRATFORD  .CANNING. 

Lords  Clarence  Paget,  Maidstone,  Anson,  and  Ponsonby,  Captain 
Otway,  Mr.  Rashleigh,  M.P.,  and  others,  visited  the  Great  Mosque 
of  Saint  Sophia,  and  they  invited  me  to  go  with  them,  which  I  did. 
Thus  have  I  now  seen  the  greatest  churches  upon  earth — St.  Peter's 
at  Rome,  St.  Paul's  at  London,  and  St.  Sophia's  at  Constantinople. 

My  missionary  friends,  Schauffler,  Goodell,  and  Dwight,  also  called 
on  me.  Mr.  Southgate  has  since  been  made  Bishop,  by  the  Episcopal 


348  NARRATIVE   OF  THE   MISSION 

Church  of  America,  for  all  Turkey  and  its  dependencies.  Mr.  South- 
gate  is  a  worthy  man,  but  I  abstain  from  any  judgment  about  the  in- 
stitution of  Bishoprics  undertaken  by  either  the  Church  of  England 
or  America,  as  I  reserve  that  for  a  future  work,  in  which  I  shall  de- 
velope  the  utility  of  these  Bishoprics,  and  the  impression  they  have 
made  among  the  Eastern  Churches. 

I  have  only  to  say  a  few  words  of  Schauffler.  This  is  an  extraor- 
dinary man.  When  I  went  from  Persia  through  the  Crimea,  and 
arrived  at  Odessa,  I  met  there  a  young  man,  a  German,  William 
Schauffler  by  name,  who  copied  my  Journal,  though  he  did  not  com- 
pletely understand  English.  He  was  a  turner  by  trade.  He  studied 
at  the  Andover  seminary,  in  America,  under  Moses  Stuart ;  and  after 
this  at  Paris,  under  Silvestre  de  Sacy.  He  then  went  to  Vienna,  and 
translated  the  whole  Bible  into  Jewish  Spanish.  He  now  knows 
twenty-four  languages,  and  is  beyond  all  doubt  the  most  eminent  mis- 
sionary in  the  Levant.  I  cannot  but  speak  with  gratitude  of  him  and 
the  rest  of  the  missionaries  for  their  kindness. 

Count  Sturmer,  the  Austrian  Internuntio,  and  his  Countess,  Mr. 
Titoff,  the  Russian  Ambassador,  and  Madame  Titoff,  frequently  in- 
vited me  to  dinner,  when  our  conversation  was  on  topics  of  the  high- 
est importance.  William  Palmer,  of  Magdalen  College,  I  observe  is 
well  known  by  the  Russian  Church,  and  is  highly  esteemed. 

Sir  Stratford  Canning's  exertions,  in  union  with  the  French  and 
Russian  Ambassadors,  to  effect  the  abolition  of  the  barbarous  law  of 
putting  Christians  to  death  who  embraced  Mohammedanism  and  then 
returned  to  Christianity,  were  crowned  with  the  most  distinguished 
success.  The  following  declaration  was  issued  by  the  Sublime 
Porte: 

It  is  the  special,  and  constant  intention  of  His  Highness  the  Sultan,  that  his 
cordial  relations  with  the  High  Powers  should  be  preserved,  and  that  a  powerful 
reciprocal  friendship  be  maintained  and  increased.  The  Sublime  Porte  engages  to 
take  effectual  measures  to  prevent  henceforward  the  execution  and  putting  to  death 
of  the  Christian  who  is  an  Apostate. 

Several  Armenians  were  at  Erzroom,  who  had  embraced  the  Mu- 
hammedan  religion.  They  were  taken  by  Colonel  Williams  and  Mr, 
Brant  from  the  palace  of  the  Pasha,  and  have  now  openly  returned  to 
the  Christian  religion.  There  ought  to  be  established  a  Society  for 
the  protection  of  Eastern  Christians  arid  Jews. 

By  order  of  Sir  Stratford  Canning,  I  was  introduced  by  Messrs. 
Frederick  and  Stephen  Pisani  to  Their  Excellencies  the  Grand  Vizier, 
Eaoof  Pasha,  and  to  the  Reis  Effendi,  Shekeeb  Effendi,  who  was  for- 


OF   DR.    WOLJW   TO    BUKHARA.  349 

merly  in  England,  and  to  the  Sheikh  Islam.  All  of  them  expressed 
their  great  sympathy  with  my  sufferings,  and  their  delight  to  see  me 
again.  His  Excellency  got  me  introduced  to  the  Greek  Patriarch, 
the  successor  of  St.  Chrysostom  in  the  Church  of  Constantinople,  who 
made  me  a  present  of  the  Liturgy  of  St.  John  Chrysostom,  Basil  the 
Great,  and  Gregory  Theologos,  of  which  I  insert  an  abstract,  and 
refer  my  readers  for  further  particulars  to  Appendix  No.  I. 

Service  Boole,  comprising  the  Divine  and  Holy  Eucharistical  Services  of  JoJin 
Chrysostom,  Basil  the  Great,  and  Gregory  Dialogus  (alias  Theologos),  namely, 
for  the  Sanctified.  Moreover,  the  Orders  for  all  the  Ordinations  ;  the  Office  of 
the  Marriage  Vow,  and  Crowning;  the  Office  of  the  Lesser  Purification,  and 
Portion  of  the  Communion;  and  other  necessary  Prayers  for  the  Chief  Priests. 
Now  published  for  the  use  of  the  Chief  Priests,  by  the  combined  care  of  the  Most 
Holy  Superintendents  of  the  Patriarchal  Typography  at  Constantinople,  1820,  at 
the  Greek  Press  in  the  Patriarchate,  by  permission  and  order  of  the  Holy  Synod, 

To  our  most  venerable  Fathers,  the  most  holy  Patriarchs,  and  to  our  most  beloved 
Brethren,  all  the  Chief  Priests,  befitting  homage  and  due  salutation.  It  is  fit  that 
the  husbandman  that  labours  should  first  partake  of  the  fruits,  as  the  holy  Apostle 
has  already  spoken.  They  cultivate,  some  here,  some  there,  as  to  every  one  it  is 
committed ;  and  they  gather  as  much  fruit  as  the  tillage  is  calculated  to  produce. 
Since,  then,  we  have  undertaken  to  labour  at  the  common  patriarchal  typography  of 
the  nation  ;  but  there  have  joined  themselves,  and  do  join  themselves,  all,  so  to  speak, 
by  spontaneous  love  of  excellence,  and  unanimous  alacrity ;  but  more  actively  than 
the  rest  they  who  are  comprehended  in  the  hierarchical  order,  as  having  sown  the 
seed  by  their  labour  as  in  this  soil,  it  is  fit  that  they  before  others  should  reap  also  of 
the  fruits.  Moreover,  the  book  called  the  Archicraticon  (Book  of  Offices)  having 
fallen  short,  we  thought  it  right  to  publish  this.  Besides,  we  have  introduced  many 
things,  which  in  previous  editions  were  omitted,  but  which  seemed  necessary  and 
indispensable ;  having  also  corrected  whatever  was  erroneous  in  them.  And  they 
would  have  been  distributed  gratuitously  to  men  of  the  same  order,  to  be  the  first- 
fruits,  did  it  not  appear  safer  that  the  things  belonging  to  individuals  should  be 
dispersed  to  the  public,  than  that  the  things  of  the  public  should  be  dispersed  to 
individuals.  Thus,  then,  having  chosen  the  safer  part,  accept  this  book,  and  with 
us  carry  it  forth,  sowing  in  this  furrow  a  more  abundant  seed,  that  it  may  bear  a 
larger  crop.  Farewell ! 

THE  SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  THE  PATRIARCHAL  TYPOGRAPHY. 
His  Holiness  paid  me  back  my  visit.  He,  as  well  as  the  Armenian 
Patriarch,  spoke  with  high  regard  of  Dr.  Tomlinson,  and  called  him 
their  dear  brother.  The  Greek  Patriarch  observed,  "  This  is  a  Bish- 
op with  some  sense*"  His  further  remarks  I  shall  notice  in  a  fu- 
ture publication.  I  also  called  on  the  Armenian  Patriarch,  and  on 
the  Armenian  Catholic ;  all  of  them  treated  me  with  the  greatest  kind- 
ness, and  paid  me  the  compliment  that  1  had  always  acted  in  my  mis- 
sionary pursuits  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  grieve  the  Eastern 
churches,  since  I  had  directed  my  attention  to  those  out  of  the  Church. 


350  WAKKATIVK    OF    THE    MISSION 

I  preached  several  times,  not  only  in  the  English  Embassy,  but  also 
in  the  house  of  Sir  Stratford  Canning,  and  expounded  my  views  on 
the  personal  reign  of  Christ,  in  the  palace  of  Count  Sturmer,  and  Mr. 
Titoff,  in  the  presence  also  of  Prince  Dolgorouki,  Mr.  Lecoque,  the 
Prussian  Ambassador,  and  others. 

On  the  eve  of  my  departure,  Sir  Stratford  and  Lady  Canning  had 
so  arranged  matters,  that  I  had  nothing  to  pay  either  for  my  stay  at 
Constantinople,  or  my  journey  to  England.  Lady  Canning  herself 
took  care  to  have  my  trunks  packed  up,  and  sent  a  present  of  an  Ar- 
menian scarf  to  Lady  Georgiana.  I  received  the  inclosed  letter  from 
the  Hon.  Mr.  Wellesley  : 

My  dear  Sir,  Constantinople,  March  20,  1845. 

Here  is  the  letter  you  wished  to  have  for  my  father.  I  hope  to  find  a  moment 
this  morning  to  wish  you  Good-bye ;  in  case,  however,  I  should  be  prevented,  pray 
accept  Mrs.  Wellesley's  and  my  best  wishes  for  a  prosperous  journey  home. 

Yours  very  faithfully, 

H.  WELLESLEY. 

I  then  embarked  in  the  Oriental  Peninsular  Company's  steamer, 
The  Duke  of  Cornwall,  for  England.  We  stopped  twelve  hours  at 
Smyrna.  Immediately  on  my  arrival  there,  Lord  Clarence  Paget, 
whom  I  had  seen  at  Constantinople,  sent  a  boat  from  his  ship,  the 
Aigle,  to  invite  me  to  breakfast,  where  I  met  the  Rev.  W.  Lewis, 
Chaplain,  and  my  now  dear  departed  friend,  the  Rev.  H.  D.  Leeves. 
I  then  embarked  again  with  two  fellow-passengers,  Captain  Irvine  and 
Captain  Macpherson,  who  took  brotherly  care  of  me  during  the  voyage 
to  Malta,  where  they  disembarked. 

I  stopped  in  quarantine,  at  Malta,  two  days,  to  wait  for  passengers 
from  India,  via  Alexandria.  During  our  short  stay  at  Malta,  Lord 
Viscount  Lorton,  to  whom  I  have  the  honour  to  be  chaplain,  and  the 
Right  Rev.  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Gibraltar,  called  on  me,  and  regretted 
that  they  could  not  shake  hands  with  me  in  quarantine.  At  last  Sir 
Joseph  Sackville,  Colonel  Ovans,  and  seventy  other  passengers,  ar- 
rived from  Alexandria. 

We  sailed  that  same  day,  and  arrived,  on  the  2nd  of  April,  in  the 
harbour  of  Gibraltar,  where  I  received  the  two  following  letters,  one 
from  His  Excellency  the  Governor,  Sir  Robert  Wilson,  which  I  give : 

Dear  Sir, 

It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  afford  you  any  gratification.  We  had  accom- 
panied you  in  your  generous  career  with  our  best  wishes,  and  trust  your  health  has 
not  been  impaired. 

I  have  only  to  regret  no  personal  communication  is  admissible. 

Yours  truly, 
Gibraltar,  April  2nd,  1845.  R.  WILSON,  G.  G. 


OF   DR.    WOLFF    TO    BOKHARA.  351 

And  another  from  that  most  dear  and  interesting  individual,  Dr. 
Burrow : 

My  dear  Sir, 

I  cannot  express  my  regret  and  disappointment  at  not  having  it  in  my  power  to 
take  you  by  the  hand,  and  to  congratulate  you  on  your  arrival  in  safety  under  the 
guns  of  a  British  fortress.  I  have  looked  with  deep  anxiety  for  the  vessel  which 
might  be  bringing  you  home  again  from  your  perilous  but  truly  Christian  enterprise. 
We  all  bless  God  that  He  has  been  pleased  to  preserve  you  under  the  many  trying 
circumstances  which  have  passed  since  we  last  met,  and  trust  that  He  has  yet  hi 
store  for  you,  even  in  this  life,  the  reward  of  your  charitable  labours. 

Had  it  been  possible,  I  would  have  put  myself  into  a  boat,  merely  for  the  chance 
of  having  a  few  words  with  you  alongside,  but  unfortunately  I  am  confined  to  the 
house  by  a  severe  cold,  which  has  settled  in  my  face,  and  threatens  to  prevent  my 
doing  duty,  if  not  attended  to. 

I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  have  no  newspapers  of  my  own  to  offer  you,  but  I  win 
send  and  endeavour  to  procure  some,  without  loss  of  time. 

Mrs.  Burrow  and  my  family  unite  in  best  wishes  with, 

Dear  Sir,  your  very  faithful  servant, 

E.  J.  BURROW. 

Wednesday,  April  2,  1845. 

On  the  9th  of  April  I  arrived  off  the  Isle  of  Wight ;  on  the  llth  I 
disembarked  at  Southampton,  where  I  met,  on  the  shore,  my  most 
dear  and  excellent  friend,  Captain  Grover,  and  many  other  friends, 
all  cheering  me ;  and,  a  few  minutes  after,  my  dear  wife  and  child. 
Captain  Grover  had  procured  an  order  from  the  Lords  of  the  Treasury 
that  my  presents  from  the  different  Sovereigns  and  Ambassadors 
should  be  duty  free. 

After  this  I  arrived  on  the  12th  in  London.  I  embraced  the  first 
opportunity  that  presented  itself  of  returning  thanks  to  Almighty  God 
for  my  preservation  at  Bokhara,  and  in  the  deserts  of  Merwe  and 
Sarakhs,  in  Trinity  church,  of  which  my  friend,  the  Rev.  J.  W. 
Worthington,  D.D.,  is  the  incumbent.  I  preached  there  to  a  numer- 
ous congregation,  and  have  received,  since  my  return  to  town,  the  vis- 
its of  many  most  distinguished  individuals. 

It  was  considered  proper,  on  the  part  of  the  Stoddart  and  Conolly 
Committee,  that  a  public  meeting  should  take  place  in  Exeter  Hall ;  I 
attended  it,  and  spoke  for  several  hours,  and  was  heard  with  the  deep- 
est attention. 

To  my  kind  friend,  Captain  Grover,  at  the  conclusion  of  this  Nar- 
rative, which  never  would  have  been  furnished  to  the  public  but  for 
his  manifold  kindness  in  numerous  ways,  I  cannot  but  publicly  ex- 
press my  feeling  that  the  most  disinterested,  generous,  noble-minded, 
and  zealous  friend  which  Stoddart  and  Conolly  could  have  had,  and 
which  I  could  have  had  during  the  whole  period  of  my  wandering, 


352  NARRATIVE  OF   THE   MISSION 

detention  in  Bokhara,  and  after  my  arrival  home,  and  the  most  zeal- 
ous friend  the  British  Army  could  have,  is  that  gentleman.  One  who 
was  no  niggard  from  his  disinterested  character  of  his  scanty  income ; 
one  who  has  reproved  the  lukewarmness  and  indifference  of  others, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  have  shown  greater  zeal  in  the  cause  of  Colonel 
Stoddart  and  Captain  Conolly.  I  must  here  state  to  the  public,  that 
Captain  Grover  spent  four  hundred  pounds  out  of  his  own  pocket  for 
defraying  the  expense  of  my  journey ;  and  besides  that,  more  than 
two  hundred  pounds,  in  order  to  interest  the  Russian  Government  in 
my  behalf  on  his  journey  for  that  object  to  St.  Petersburg. 

Among  the  various  letters  that  I  have  received  since  my  return,  I 
have  to  lay  before  the  public  one  from  a  worthy  member  of  the  Stod- 
dart family,  the  Rev.  R.  W.  Stoddart,  Vicar  of  Hundon : 

Hundon  Vicarage,  Near  Close,  Suffolk,  April  (May)  1th,  1845. 
Rev.  and  dear  Sir, 

As  a  cousin  of  the  ill-fated  and  much-lamented  Colonel  Stoddart,  one  of  the 
Bokhara  victims,  I  take  the  liberty  of  writing  to  you,  to  express,  as  one  of  his  rela- 
tives, a  deep  sense  of  gratitude  due  to  you  especially,  in  the  risking  your  life  in  search 
of  him  and  his  fellow  captives.  Only  weekly  receiving  a  paper  in  tliis  retired  spot,  I 
have  just  read  with  deep  regret,  that  the  harmony  of  the  meeting  at  Exeter  Hall 
should  have  been  so  unfortunately  interrupted  by  my  cousin,  the  Rev.  George  Stod- 
dart. I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  the  grounds  of  his  charge  against  Captain  Grover,  evi- 
dently based  upon  something  which  he  has  seen  hi  the  red  book  published  by  that 
gentleman ;  but  I  feel  that  nothing  justifies  his  interruption  of  a  meeting  so  harmo- 
nious as  it  appears  otherwise  to  have  been,  hi  expressing  the  high  sense  of  gratitude 
due  to  yourself,  and  Captain  Grover  as  a  promoter  of  your  self-sacrificing  journey, 
wherein  your  own  life  was  in  danger. 

Whatever  advice  of  my  cousin's  friends  might  have  caused  him  for  a  time  to  as- 
sume the  garb  of  a  Mussulman,  yet  I  felt  from  the  first  that  nothing  would  show 
but  that  he  died  in  the  faith  of  Jesus,  which  I  am  glad  to  see  confirmed  by  your 
statement ;  and  before  any  would  detract  from  his  honour  or  Christian  faith,  let  men 
bear  in  mind,  that  a  captive  in  a  dungeon  might  be  made  to  appear  outwardly  in  the 
garments  of  any  faith,  but  inwardly  his  heart  was  evidently  unchanged.  Also  from 
the  very  first  I  entertained  no  hope  of  his  life  having  been  spared,  and  especially 
after  the  blood  on  our  flag  in  the  Afghanistan  war ;  for  I  observed,  after  reading 
that,  that  without  doubt  poor  Charles's  fate  was  fixed :  yet  a  superficial  hope  still  re- 
mained upon  my  mind,  and  every  letter  which  you  have  sent  I  have  read  with  deep 
and  painful  interest.  I  think  also  our  best  thanks  are  due  to  Captain  Grover,  for  his 
interest  and  sacrifice  made  in  the  good  hope  of  rescuing  a  fellow  soldier  from  the 
tyrant's  grasp.  No  praise  I  feel  to  be  too  much  to  be  given  to  you  both ;  and  per- 
haps you  will  be  kind  enough,  as  I  know  not  his  address,  to  convey  mine,  and  in 
them  the  expression  of  the  feelings  of  the  relatives  of  Colonel  Stoddart,  to  him.  My 
means  are  limited,  but  if  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  tell  the  Secretary  of  the  Stod- 
dart Fund  to  place  my  name  down  as  a  subscriber  of  a  sovereign  to  the  testimonial 
you  so  justly  deserve,  I  shall  feel  obliged.  I  would  that  I  could  give  ten  times  the 
amount ;  and  most  happy  should  I  be  to  see  a  subscription  to  reimburse  Captain 


OF    DR.    WOLFF    TO   BOKHARA. 

Grover,  to  which  I  would  willingly  give  my  mite.  Hoping  that  you  will  meet  in 
another  and  better  world  with  the  reward  due  to  your  endeavours  to  rescue  the  cap- 
tives from  their  dungeon,  is  the  prayerful  wish  of 

Yours  very  truly, 

R.  W.  STODDART. 

I  have  now  to  thank  my  readers  for  the  patience  with  which  they 
have  hitherto  indulged  me ;  and  I  trust  that  the  time  will  never  come 
when  the  lot  of  the  captive  in  the  dungeon  shall  cease  to  command 
the  deep  sympathy  of  a  British  public ;  and  that  the  slight  effort  here 
made  for  the  lives  of  the  brethren  will  in  no  wise  be  measured  by  its 
success,  but  by  the  important  principle  it  has  developed,  that  there 
exists  not  a  recess  so  dark  upon  God's  earth  into  which  Philanthropy 
will  not  pour  its  light ;  that  Eastern  tyranny  can  neither  daunt  nor 
subdue  the  Christian  principle,  but  that  it  will  force  its  way  like  the 
mighty  leaven  that  leaveneth  the  mass,  not  only  to  the  remotest  ends 
of  the  earth,  but  possess  every  particle  in  it  with  its  own  benevolence, 
charity,  and  love. 

45 


APPENDIX, 


i. 

The  three  Liturgies  of  St.  Chrysostom,  St.  Basil,  and  St.  Greg- 
ory, with  various  Rites  and  Ceremonies  of  the  Greek  Church, 
and  separate  Prayers. 

Passages  from  the  Greek  Liturgy,  or  Communion  Service  of  St. 
Chrysostom. 


A  Prayer  which  immediately  precedes  the  singing  of  the  Cherubical 
Hymn,  or  Trisagium,  beginning,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy." 

Oh,  holy  God,  who  hast  thy  resting  place  in  the  holy ;  whose  praises  the  seraphim 
chant  in  triple  invocation ;  who  art  glorified  by  the  cherubim,  and  worshipped  by 
every  heavenly  power ;  who  from  not  being  hast  brought  all  things  to  be ;  who 
createdst  man  after  thine  own  image  and  similitude,  and  adornedst  him  with  every 
grace  of  thine  own ;  who  givest  to  him  that  asketh  wisdom  and  understanding,  and 
dost  not  neglect  the  sinner,  but  enduest  him  with  repentance  unto  salvation ;  Thou 
who  hast  granted  to  us,  thy  poor  and  unworthy  servants,  even  at  this  time,  to  stand 
before  the  glory  of  thy  holy  altar,  and  to  offer  thy  due  of  worship  and  praise,  do 
Thou  thyself,  O  Lord,  receive,  though  from  the  mouth  of  us  sinners,  this  Trisagium, 
and  look  upon  us  in  thy  goodness.  Forgive  us  every  transgression,  voluntary  and 
involuntary ;  sanctify  our  souls  and  bodies  ;  and  grant  us  in  holiness  to  serve  Thee 
all  the  days  of  our  life,  by  the  intercession  of  the  holy  Mother  of  God,  and  of  all  the 
saints  who,  from  the  beginning,  have  been  pleasing  to  Thee  ;  for  Thou,  our  God, 
art  holy,  and  to  Thee  we  give  praise,  to  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  now  and  for 
ever. 
A  Prayer  said  by  the  Bishop  during  the  singing  of  the  Trisagium. 

O  King  of  Glory,  none  of  those  who  are  bound  by  fleshly  lusts  and  pleasures  is 
worthy  to  approach  or  draw  nigh  to  Thee,  or  to  officiate  unto  Thee ;  for  to  minis- 
ter before  Thee  is  a  great  and  fearful  thing,  even  for  the  heavenly  powers  themselves  ; 
and  yet,  in  thine  unspeakable  and  unlimited  love  for  us,  Thou  didst  become  surely 
and  substantially  man,  and  wert  called  our  High  Priest,  and  gavest  to  us  the  minis- 
try of  this  eucharistic  and  unbloody  sacrifice,  as  being  Lord  of  all.  For  Thou  alone, 
O  Lord  our  God,  art  the  Master  of  all  things  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  riding  on  the 
throne  of  the  cherubim,  the  Lord  of  seraphim  and  the  King  of  Israel,  alone  holy, 
and  making  thy  resting-place  among  the  holy.  Thee,  therefore,  I  venerate,  who 
alone  art  good  and  ready  to  hear ;  look  upon  me,  a  sinner  and  an  unprofitable  ser- 
vant, and  cleanse  my  spirit  and  my  heart  from  conscience  of  evil,  and  enable  me  by 
the  power  of  thy  Holy  Spirit,  being  endued  with  the  grace  of  the  priesthood,  to  stand 
at  this  thy  holy  table,  and  to  offer  thy  holy  and  undefiled  body  and  thy  precious 
blood.  For  Thro  I  approach  with  bended  neck,  and  entreat  Thee  turn  not  thy  face 
from  me,  and  reject  me  not  from  among  thy  children.  But  grant  that  these  gifts 
may  be  offered  to  Thee  by  me,  a  sinful  and  unworthy  servant,  for  Thou  art  He 


356  APPENDIX. 

that  offerest  and  art  offered,  and  receives!  and  distributes!,  O  Christ  our  God ;  and 
to  Thee  do  we  give  glory,  together  with  thy  eternal  Father,  and  the  all-holy,  and 
good,  and  life-giving  Spirit,  now,  henceforth,  and  for  ever.  Amen. 

A  Catholic  Commemoration  of  the  Servants  of  God. 

(The  Bishop  says:) 

And  we  offer  to  Thee  this  our  reasonable  service  in  behalf  of  all  those  who  have 
fallen  asleep  in  the  faith  ;  for  our  forefathers,  fathers,  patriarchs,  prophets,  apostles, 
preachers,  evangelists,  martyrs,  confessors,  ascetics,  and  every  spirit  made  perfect  in 
faith. 

(With  an  uplifted  voice  :) 

Chiefly  for  her,  our  all-holy,  undefined,  most  blessed,  and  glorious  mistress,  the 
Mother  of  God,  the  ever  Virgin  Mary. 

(Then  in  the  same  tone  as  before  :) 

For  the  holy  John,  Prophet,  Forerunner,  and  Baptist ;  for  the  glorious  saints  and 
ever  blessed  apostles ;  for  the  saint  whom  we  commemorate,  and  all  thy  saints,  at 
whose  supplication  may  God  look  upon  us.  And  remember  all  that  have  fallen  to 
sleep  in  hope  of  a  resurrection  to  eternal  life,  and  grant  them  to  rest,  O  our  God, 
there,  where  the  light  of  Thy  countenance  looketh  upon  them.  Yet,  again,  we  be- 
seech Thee,  O  Lord,  remember  the  whole  order  of  bishops  among  the  orthodox,  who 
rightly  divide  the  word  of  thy  truth  ;  the  whole  order  of  priests ;  the  diaconate  in 
Christ,  and  every  order  Holy  and  Monastic.  Yet,  again,  we  offer  to  Thee  this 
reasonable  service  in  behalf  of  the  whole  world ;  for  the  holy  catholic  and  apos- 
tolic Church ;  for  those  who  live  in  chastity  and  sober  conversation ;  for  our  most 
religious  and  Christian  kings,  for  all  the  palace,  and  their  army.  Grant  them,  O 
Lord,  a  kingdom  of  peace,  that  we,  also,  in  their  peace,  may  lead  a  calm  and  quiet 
life  hi  all  sanctity  and  soberness. 

(Then  with  an  uplifted  voice  :) 

Especially,  O  Lord,  remember  our  archbishop  (here  mentioning  his  name),  whom 
bestow  upon  thy  holy  churches  in  peace,  in  safety,  in  honour,  hi  health,  living  long, 
and  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  Thy  truth. 

(Here  the  Deacon  reads  out  from  the  Roll  the  names  of  illustrious  living  Members 
of  the  Church  ;  after  which  the  Bishop  continues :) 

Remember,  O  Lord,  the  city  in  which  we  sojourn,  and  every  city  and  country, 
and  the  faithful  who  live  in  them.  Remember,  Lord,  all  that  travel  by  sea  and  land  ; 
those  who  are  sick,  in  trouble,  and  hi  prison,  and  save  them.  Remember,  Lord, 
those  who  bring  forth  fruit  and  rightly  serve  Thee  in  thy  holy  churches,  and  those 
who  are  mindful  of  the  poor ;  and  upon  all  of  us  send  forth  thy  mercies ;  and  grant 
us  to  glorify  Thee  with  one  mouth  and  with  one  heart,  and  to  sing  the  praise  of  thy 
honourable  and  glorious  name,  the  name  of  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  now, 
henceforth,  and  for  ever.  And  the  mercies  of  the  great  God,  and  of  our  Saviour  Je- 
sus Christ,  shall  be  with  us  all. 


Passages  from  the  Liturgy  of  St.  Basil  the  Great. 

A  Prayer  of  the  Bishop  after  the  Cherubic  Hymn  and  the  Oblation 
of  the  Elements. 

O  Lord  our  God,  who  hast  made  us  and  brought  us  into  this  life,  who  hast  showed 
us  the  way  of  salvation,  and  of  thy  grace  hast  revealed  to  us  heavenly  mysteries,  and 


APPENDIX.  857 

appointed  us  to  this  ministry  with  the  power  of  thy  Holy  Spirit ;  be  moreover  well 
pleased,  O  Lord,  that  we  should  be  ministers  of  thy  new  covenant,  and  celcbratora 
of  thy  holy  mysteries.  According  to  the  multitude  of  thy  mercy,  receive  us  who 
draw  nigh  to  thy  holy  altar,  that  we  may  be  worthy  to  offer  unto  Thee  this  reason- 
able and  unbloody  sacrifice  on  behalf  of  our  own  sins  and  the  ignorances  of  the  peo- 
ple ;  receive  it  as  a  sweet-smelling  savour  upon  thy  holy  and  reasonable  altar  which 
is  above  the  heavens,  and  send  down  in  return  upon  us  the  grace  of  thy  Holy  Spirit 
Look  upon  us,  O  God,  and  behold  this  our  service,  and  accept  it  as  Thou  didst  ac- 
cept the  gifts  of  Abel,  the  victims  of  Noah,  the  sufferings  of  Abraham,  the  sacrifices 
of  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  the  peace  offerings  of  Samuel.  As  Thou  didst  accept  this 
real  service  from  thy  holy  Apostles,  so  in  thy  goodness,  O  Lord,  accept  also  these 
gifts  from  the  hands  of  us,  sinners  that  we  are,  that  we,  being  admitted  to  minister 
without  blame  at  thy  holy  altar,  may  receive  the  reward  of  faithful  and  wise  stew- 
ards in  the  dreadful  day  of  thy  righteous  retribution. 

A  Prayer  of  the  Bishop  after  the  Versicles,  Lift  up  your  hearts,  Let 
us  give  thanks  unto  our  Lord  God. 

O  Thou  who  art  our  Master,  Lord  God,  almighty  and  adorable  Father ;  it  is  very 
meet,  right,  and  suitable  to  the  majesty  of  thy  holiness,  that  we  should  praise  Thee, 
celebrate  Thee  in  song,  bless  Thee,  worship  Thee,  give  thanks  unto  Thee,  and  glo- 
rify Thee,  who  alone  art  really  God,  and  offer  unto  Thee  this  our  reasonable  service 
with  a  contrite  heart  and  humble  spirit ;  for  it  is  Thou  who  hast  granted  us  the 
knowledge  of  thy  truth ;  and  who  is  able  to  express  thy  noble  acts,  or  show  forth  all 
thy  praise,  or  to  tell  of  all  the  marvellous  works  that  Thou  hast  done  since  the  world 
began?  O  Ruler  of  all  men,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  of  all  things  visible  and 
invisible  ;  Thou  who  sittest  upon  the  throne  of  glory,  and  lookest  upon  infinity ;  eter- 
nal, invisible,  incomprehensible,  indefinable,  invariable  ;  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  great  God  and  Saviour,  our  hope,  who  is  the  image  and  exact  impression 
of  thy  goodness,  showing  the  Father  in  Himself,  the  living  Word,  very  God,  Wisdom 
from  before  all  worlds,  Life,  Sanctification,  Power ;  the  true  Light  from  whom  there 
has  shone  forth  the  Holy  Spirit ;  the  Spirit  of  truth,  the  gift  of  the  adoption,  the 
earnest  of  the  inheritance  to  come ;  the  first-fruits  of  good  things  which  will  never 
pass  away  ;  the  life-giving  power,  the  fountain  of  sanctification  from  whom  all  rea- 
sonable and  sensible  creation  receiveth  power  to  do  its  services  unto  Thee,  and  to 
send  up  unto  Thee  for  evermore  its  praise,  for  all  things  are  in  subjection  under  Thee. 
To  Thee  give  praise  angels  and  archangels,  thrones,  dominions,  principalities,  pow- 
ers, forces,  and  the  cherubim,  full  of  eyes  ;  around  Thee  stand  the  seraphim,  of 
whom  each  one  hath  six  wings,  with  twain  they  cover  their  faces,  with  twain  they 
cover  their  feet,  and  with  twain  do  they  fly,  while  each  one  crieth  unto  another  with 
lips  that  never  cease,  and  praises  that  sound  for  evermore, 
(Here  shall  the  voice  be  exalted,) 
Singing  the  hymn  of  triumph,  exclaiming,  crying  out,  and  saying, 

(Here  probably  the  choir  sang  an  hymn.  Then  shall  he  continue  :) 
With  these  blessed  powers,  O  merciful  Lord,  we  sinners  also  do  cry  aloud,  and 
say,  Holy  art  Thou  of  a  truth,  and  altogether  holy,  and  there  is  no  bound  to  the  ma- 
jesty of  thy  holiness,  and  holy  in  all  thy  works,  for  in  righteousness  and  true  judg- 
ment hast  Thou  brought  all  things  upon  us.  For  when,  by  taking  the  dust  of  the 
ground,  and  honouring  it,  God  though  Thou  wert,  with  thine  own  image,  Thou 
hadst  made  man,  Thou  didst  place  him  in  the  garden  of  pleasure,  and  didst  promise 
unto  him  everlasting  life,  and  the  enjoyment  of  eternal  happiness,  by  the  keeping  of 


358  APPENDIX. 

thy  commandments.  But  when  he  was  disobedient  to  Thee  the  true  God,  hia 
Creator,  and  was  led  astray  by  the  guile  of  the  serpent,  and  was  dead  in  his  own 
transgressions,  in  thy  righteous  judgment  Thou,  O  God,  didst  put  him  forth  from 
the  garden  into  this  world,  and  badest  him  return  unto  the  ground  from  which  he 
was  taken,  instituting  at  the  same  time  the  economy  for  his  salvation  by  regenera- 
tion, to  be  brought  about  by  thy  Christ  Himself.  For  Thou  didst  not  utterly  cast 
away  thy  creatures  which  Thou  hadst  made,  O  good  Lord,  nor  didst  Thou  cease  to 
remember  the  work  of  thine  hands :  but  Thou  didst  look  upon  him  in  divers  manners 
through  the  bowels  of  thy  compassion ;  Thou  didst  send  forth  from  Thee  prophets 
and  didst  work  miracles  by  thy  saints  who  found  favour  in  thy  eyes  in  each  genera- 
tion ;  Thou  spakest  unto  us  by  the  mouth  of  thy  servants  the  prophets,  declaring 
unto  us  before -hand  the  salvation  which  was  to  come ;  Thou  gavest  for  our  help  the 
law ;  Thou  didst  place  over  us  the  angels  as  guardians ;  but  when  the  fulness  of 
tune  was  come  Thou  didst  speak  to  us  by  thy  Son  Himself,  by  whom  also  Thou 
madest  the  worlds,  who,  being  the  brightness  of  thy  glory,  and  the  express  image  of 
thy  person,  and  upholding  all  things  by  the  word  of  his  power,  thought  it  not  robbery 
to  be  equal  with  God  and  the  Father.  But  God,  though  He  was  from  everlasting, 
yet  He  appeared  upon  the  earth,  and  had  his  conversation  among  the  children  of 
men ;  for,  being  incarnate  of  a  holy  Virgin,  He  emptied  Himself,  and  took  upon 
Him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  found  in  the  humble  fashion  of  us  men,  that  he 
might  make  us  be  found  in  the  glorious  fashion  of  his  own  image.  For  since 
through  man  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin,  it  pleased  thy  only-begot- 
ten Son,  who  was  in  the  bosom  of  Thee,  God  and  Father,  being  born  of  a  woman, 
the  holy  Mother  of  God,  and  ever  Virgin  Mary,  and  being  under  the  law  to  con- 
demn sin  in  his  own  flesh,  so  that  they  who  were  dead  in  Adam  might  be  made  to 
live  in  thy  Christ.  And  when  He  had  formed  to  Himself  a  kingdom  in  this  world, 
and  given  the  ordinances  of  salvation,  and  brought  us  back  from  wandering  after 
idols,  He  led  us  on  to  the  knowledge  of  Thee  the  true  God  and  Father.  And  hav- 
ing gotten  us  for  Himself  as  a  peculiar  people,  a  royal  priesthood,  an  holy  nation, 
and  having  made  us  clean  by  water,  and  having  sanctified  us  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
He  gave  Himself  as  a  ransom  for  us  from  the  death  in  which  we  were  holden,  sold 
under  sin ;  and  going  down  by  means  of  the  cross  into  hell,  that  He  might  be  the 
fulfilling  of  all  things,  He  overcame  the  sharpness  of  death,  and  by  rising  again  on 
the  third  day  He  opened  a  way  for  all  flesh  to  the  resurrection  from  the  dead.  And 
since  it  was  not  possible  that  He,  the  Author  of  life,  should  be  holden  of  corruption, 
He  became  the  first-fruits  of  them  that  slept,  the  first-born  of  the  dead,  that  in  all 
things  He  might  have  the  pre-eminence.  And  when  He  had  ascended  into  heaven 
He  sate  down  at  the  right  hand  of  thy  Majesty  on  high.  And  He  shall  come  also 
to  repay  every  man  according  to  his  works.  He  left  behind  Him  for  us  these  me- 
morials of  his  saving  passion,  which  we  have  offered  before  Thee  according  to  his 
commandments.  For  when  He  was  about  to  go  forth  to  his  voluntary,  and  memorable, 
and  life-giving  death,  in  the  night  in  which  He  gave  Himself  up  for  the  life  of  the 
world,  He  took  bread  in  his  holy  and  undefiled  hands,  and  having  oifered  it  up  to  Thee, 
God  and  Father,  having  given  thanks,  and  blessed  it.  and  consecrated  it,  and  broken  it, 

(Here  shall  he  exalt  Ms  voice,) 
He  gave  it  to  his  holy  disciples  and  apostles,  saying, 

(Here  follow  the  usual  formulae  of  consecration  of  the  elements.} 

Another  Prayer  at  a  later  period  of  the  Service. 

O  God,  the  God  of  our  salvation,  teach  us  to  give  thanks  unto  Thee,  as  we  ought, 
for  the  benefits  which  we  have  received,  and  are  receiving  at  thy  hand.    Tiiou, 


APPENDIX.  359 

who  art  our  God,  and  hast  received  these  gifts,  cleanse  us  from  all  defilement  of  the 
flesh  and  spirit,  and  teach  us  to  fulfil  all  righteousness  in  the  fear  of  Thee,  so  that 
receiving  our  share  of  thy  holy  things  with  the  witness  of  a  pure  conscience,  we 
may  be  made  one  with  the  holy  body  and  blood  of  thine  anointed,  and  having  been 
worthy  recipients  of  the  same,  may  we  have  Christ  dwelling  within  our  hearts,  and 
may  we  become  the  temple  of  thy  Holy  Spirit ;  so  let  it  be,  O  God.  And  let  none 
of  us  be  guilty  of  these  thy  fearful  and  heavenly  mysteries,  nor  let  there  be  any 
among  us  weak  in  soul  or  body,  from  having  shared  in  them  unworthily,  but  grant 
that  until  our  last  breath  we  may  worthily  receive  our  portion  of  thy  holy  elements, 
so  that  they  may  be  our  viaticum  to  eternal  life,  and  enable  us  to  make  an  acceptable 
answer  at  the  tremendous  judgment  seat  of  Jesus  Christ,  so  that  we,  with  all  the  saints 
who  have  found  favour  before  Thee  in  every  generation,  may  be  partakers  of  those 
good  things  which  Thou  hast  prepared  for  evermore  for  those  who  love  Thee,  O  Lord. 


Passages  from  the  Missa  Prasanctificatorum,  used  only  on  days  of 

fasting. 


O  Lord,  compassionate  and  merciful,  of  long  suffering  and  great  pity,  incline  unto 
our  prayer,  and  listen  to  the  voice  of  our  supplication.  Show  upon  us  some  sign  for 
good.  Lead  us  in  thy  path,  that  we  may  walk  in  thy  truth.  Make  glad  our  hearts 
within  us,  that  we  may  fear  thy  holy  name,  for  Thou  art  great,  and  dost  wondrous 
things.  Thou  only  art  God,  and  among  the  gods  there  is  none  like  unto  Thee,  O 
Lord.  Thy  power  is  merciful,  and  thy  loving  kindness  is  strong,  to  help,  comfort, 
and  serve  all  those  who  put  their  trust  in  thy  holy  name. 

Prayer  of  the  Introit. 

At  evening,  and  morning,  and  noonday  we  praise,  bless,  give  thanks  unto,  and 
make  supplication  unto  Thee,  O  Ruler  of  all,  O  Lord,  who  lovest  mankind ;  let  our 
prayers  arise  up  before  Thee  as  incense,  and  let  not  our  hearts  be  inclined  to  any 
evil  thought  or  word ;  but  deliver  us  from  all  those  who  seek  after  our  souls  to  do 
them  evil,  for  upon  Thee,  O  Lord,  upon  Thee  our  eyes  do  wait ;  we  have  put  our 
trust  hi  Thee,  O  God ;  let  us  not  be  confounded.  For  there  is  all  glory,  &c. 

Another  Prayer. 

O  great  and  adorable  God,  who,  by  the  life-giving  death  of  thy  Son,  hast  made  us 
pass  from  corruption  into  incorruption,  make  all  our  senses  free  from  whatsoever  of 
death  remains  in  them,  and  maintain  as  a  trustworthy  Ruler  over  them  the  Reason 
which  Thou  hast  placed  within  us.  Let  no  evil  look  glance  from  the  eye,  no  idle 
word  mount  up  into  the  ear,  and  let  the  tongue  be  pure  from  all  unseemly  sayings. 
Make  our  lips  clean  wherewith  we  bless  thee,  O  Lord.  Keep  our  hands  from  all 
wicked  actions,  and  make  them  labour  only  at  such  things  as  are  well  pleasing  unto 
Thee,  and  by  thy  grace  preserve  all  our  members  and  our  understanding  in  perfect 
safety. 

A  Prayer  for  the  Benediction  of  the  Branches  on  Palm  Sunday. 

O  Lord  our  God,  who  sittest  upon  the  cherubim,  who  didst  raise  up  thy  power 
and  didst  send  forth  thy  only  begotten  Son,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  He  might 
save  the  world  by  his  death,  burial,  and  resurrection,  who,  as  He  came  into  Jeru- 
salem to  his  voluntary  sufferings,  was  met  by  the  people  who  sate  in  darkness  and 
the  shadow  of  death,  bearing  the  signs  of  victory,  branches  of  trees  and  boughs  of  palm, 


360  APPENDIX. 

foreshowing  thereby  his  resurrection ;  preserve  now  us  also,  O  Lord,  who  after  this 
example  are  carrying  in  our  hands  this  day  before  the  feast  boughs  and  branches  of 
trees,  and  watch  over  us  as  we  shout  Hosanna  unto  Thee,  as  did  the  crowds  and 
children  at  that  day,  so  that  with  hymns  and  spiritual  songs  we  may  be  thought 
worthy  to  celebrate  the  life-giving  resurrection  of  the  three  days,  through  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord,  with  whom  Thou  art  to  be  praised  with  the  all-holy  and  good  Spirit,  the 
giver  of  life,  now  and  ever,  world  without  end.  Amen. 

A  Prayer  to  be  said  over  Penitents. 

O  God,  our  Saviour,  who  through  thy  prophet  Nathan  didst  grant  unto  David 
forgiveness  of  his  sins,  and  didst  accept  the  prayer  of  Manaeses,  which  he  offered  up, 
being  penitent,  accept  now,  O  Lord,  with  thy  accustomed  loving  kindness,  this  thy 
servant  (here  the  name  is  repeated),  whorepenteth  him  for  the  evil  that  he  has  done, 
and  pass  over  all  that  he  has  committed,  Thou  who  puttest  away  iniquity  and  re- 
memberest  transgressions  no  more.  For  thou  hast  said,  O  Lord,  "  He  desireth  not 
the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  rather  that  he  should  turn  from  his  wickedness  and  live ;" 
and  hast  told  us  how  sins  ought  to  be  forgiven  until  seventy  times  seven.  As  thy 
greatness  is  incomparable,  so  is  thy  mercy  infinite  ;  for  if  Thou  be  extreme  to  mark 
what  is  done  amiss,  who  may  abide  it  ?  For  Thou  art  the  God  of  the  penitent,  and 
to  Thee,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  we  ascribe  glory,  now  and 
always,  world  without  end.  Amen. 

An  Absolutory  Prayer  for  the  Dead. 

O  Lord  our  God,  who  of  thy  unspeakable  wisdom  didst  make  man  out  of  dust, 
and  didst  form  him  into  shape  and  comeliness,  and  didst  beautify  him  as  a  precious 
and  heavenly  possession  for  the  praise  and  majesty  of  thy  glory  and  kingdom,  by 
the  leading  of  a  life  according  to  the  image  and  similitude  which  he  bare,  and  when 
he  had  transgressed  the  commandment  of  thy  ordinance,  and  had  not  preserved  this 
image,  but  departed  from  it,  didst,  in  order  that  the  evil  might  not  be  everlasting, 
mercifully  command,  by  thy  divine  will,  as  the  God  of  our  Father,  that  this  com- 
pound and  mixture  should  be  dissolved,  and  this  wonderful  bond  should  be  broken, 
and  didst  command  that  the  Spirit  should  return  thither  where  it  received  its  being, 
to  await  the  general  resurrection,  but  the  body  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  we 
beseech  Thee,  eternal  Father,  and  thy  only  begotten  Son,  and  the  all  holy  and 
consubstantial  Spirit,  the  giver  of  life,  that  Thou  wilt  not  suffer  the  work  of  thy 
hands  to  be  swallowed  up  in  destruction,  but  that  his  body  may  be  dissolved  into  the 
dust  of  which  it  was  composed,  and  that  his  soul  may  take  its  place  in  the  assembly 
of  the  just.  Yea,  O  Lord  our  God,  let  thy  boundless  mercy,  and  thine  infinite 
compassion  prevail,  and  whether  this  thy  servant  fell  under  the  curse  of  father  or 
mother,  or  the  sin  of  his  own  soul,  or  provoked  one  of  thy  priests,  and  was  bound  by 
him  in  a  chain  which  cannot  be  broken,  or  was  suffering  under  the  most  grievous 
excommunication  of  the  bishop,  and  through  his  sloth  or  neglect  had  not  obtained 
absolution,  absolve  him  through  me,  sinner  and  unworthy  servant  of  thine  that  I  am 
Dissolve  his  body  into  the  dust  of  which  it  was  composed,  and  bid  his  soul  take  its 
place  in  the  habitations  of  the  saints.  Yea,  O  Lord  our  God,  who  didst  give  this 
power  to  thy  divine  and  holy  apostles  for  the  forgiveness  of  sins  by  them,  and  didst 
say,  Whatsoever  things  ye  shall  bind  and  loose,  shall  be  bound  and  loosed,  loose  this 
thy  departed  servant  (here  shall  his  name  be  mentioned)  from  his  sins  of  body  and 
soul,  and  let  him  be  absolved  now  and  hereafter,  through  the  intercession  of  our  un- 
defiled  Lady,  the  Mother  of  God  and  ever  Virgin  Mary,  and  all  thy  saints.  Amen. 


APPENDIX.  361 

A  Benedictory  Prayer  of  the  Bishop  in  the  Service  for  Nuptials. 

Blessed  art  Thou,  O  Lord  God,  who  didst  consecrate  the  mystic  and  undefiled 
rite  of  matrimony ;  who  art  the  Ruler  of  our  bodily  life,  the  Guardian  of  our 
immortality,  the  good  Dispenser  of  the  things  of  this  world.  O  Thou  our  Master, 
who  didst  form  man  in  the  beginning,  and  didst  appoint  him  as  king  of  creation,  and 
didst  say,  It  is  not  meet  that  man  should  be  alone  upon  the  earth ;  let  us  make  him 
an  help  meet  for  him ;  and  having  taken  one  of  his  ribs,  didst  form  woman,  whom, 
when  Adam  saw,  he  said,  "  This  is  now  bone  of  my  bone,  and  flesh  of  my  flesh, 
she  shall  be  called  Woman,  because  she  was  taken  out  of  man  ;  for  this  cause  shall 
a  man  leave  his  father  and  his  mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto  his  wife,  and  they  two 
shall  be  one  flesh ;  and  whom  God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put  asunder ;" 
O  Thou  our  Lord  and  Master,  and  our  God,  send  thy  heavenly  grace  on  these  thy 
servants  (here  mentioning  the  names  of  the  couple) ;  and  grant  to  this  damsel  to  be 
subject  to  her  husband  in  all  things,  and  to  this  thy  servant  that  he  may  be  as  the 
head  of  the  woman,  that  they  may  live  according  to  thy  will.  Bless  them,  O  Lord 
our  God,  as  Thou  didst  bless  Abraham  and  Sarah.  Bless  them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as 
Thou  didst  bless  Isaac  and  Rebecca.  Bless  them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as  Thou  didst 
bless  Jacob  and  all  the  Patriarchs.  Bless  them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as  Thou  didst 
bless  Joseph  and  Asenath.  Bless  them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as  Thou  didst  bless  Moses 
and  Zipporah.  Bless  them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as  Thou  didst  bless  Zachariah  and 
Elizabeth.  Preserve  them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as  Thou  didst  preserve  Noah  in  the 
ark.  Preserve  them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as  Thou  didst  preserve  Jonah  in  the  belly  of 
the  whale.  Preserve  them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as  Thou  didst  preserve  the  three  Holy 
Children  from  the  fire,  sending  upon  them  the  dew  of  heaven  :  and  may  there  come 
upon  them  that  joy  which  St.  Helen  had  when  she  found  the  precious  cross.  Re- 
member them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as  Thou  didst  remember  Enoch,  Shem,  Elias. 
Remember  them,  O  Lord  our  God,  as  Thou  didst  remember  thy  forty  holy  Martyrs,, 
sending  down  their  crowns  from  heaven.  Remember  also,  O  Lord,  their  parents 
who  reared  them,  for  the  prayers  of  parents  establish  the  foundations  of  the  house. 
Remember,  O  Lord  our  God,  thy  servants  the  para-nymphs  assembled  at  this 
rejoicing.  Remember,  O  Lord  our  God,  this  thy  servant  and  thy  handmaid,  and 
bless  them  ;  grant  them  the  fruit  of  the  womb,  the  grace  of  children,  and  agreement 
in  spirit  and  in  body ;  exalt  them  as  the  cedar  of  Libanus,  and  as  the  choice-clus- 
tering vine  ;  grant  them  to  be  as  the  fruitful  vine,  that,  having  all-sufficiency,  they 
may  abound  unto  every  work  that  is  good  and  well-pleasing  to  Thee,  and  may  see 
their  children's  children  as  the  young  olive-branches  round  about  their  table,  and 
being  acceptable  before  Thee,  may  shine  as  lights  in  the  heaven :  through  Thee, 
our  Lord,  with  whom  be  glory,  and  power,  and  honour,  and  worship,  together  with 
thy  eternal  Father,  and  thy  life-giving  Spirit,  now,  henceforth,  and  for  ever.  Amen. 

A  Prayer  said  by  the  Bishop  over  one  employed  to  travel  officially. 

O  God  our  God,  who  art  the  true  and  living  way,  who  didst  accompany  thy 
servant  Joseph  on  his  journey,  accompany,  O  Lord,  this  thy  servant  (mentioning  his 
name} ;  protect  him  from  robbers  and  pirates,  and  every  plot  of  the  murderous 
enemy  of  man.  Forgive  him  every  transgression,  voluntary  and  involuntary,  what- 
soever he  has  committed  in  deed,  in  word,  or  in  intention,  whether  in  knowledge  or 
in  ignorance.  Preserve  his  life  unassaulted,  and  his  soul  pure  from  all  defilement. 
Prosper  his  movements,  and  conduct  his  plans ;  keep  him  in  health  and  of  a  sound 
mind  in  all  to  which  his  mind  shall  be  given.  Even  so  we  pray  Thee,  O  almighty 

46 


362  APPENDIX. 

King  and  long-suffering  Lord,  hear  me,  unworthy  as  I  am,  for  thy  goodness  ;  and 
overlooking  all  the  offences  of  thy  servant  (here  mentioning  his  name},  enrich  him 
with  thy  grace,  and  make  him  full  of  all  thy  earthly  and  heavenly  gifts,  and  an 
inheritor  of  thy  divine  glory  and  of  thine  unspeakable  peace  ;  for  thine  is  the  king- 
dom, the  power,  and  the  glory,  O  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  now,  henceforth, 
and  for  ever.  Amen. 


II. 

Narrative  of  Events  which  happened  to  Dr.  Wolff  at  Bokhara, 
and  on  his  Journey  thence  to  Teheraun  ; 

BY  ABDUL  WAHAB,  MIRZA,  PAINTER,  WATCHMAKER,  AND  TAILOR. 


IN  company  with  the  exalted  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  as  will  now  be  detailed,  the 
Rev.  Joseph  Wolff  arrived  in  Bokhara.  Before  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  admitted 
Joseph  Wolff  to  his  presence,  he  assembled  several  of  his  Grandees  to  consult  with 
him,  saying,  "  What  answer  shall  I  give  to  the  English  envoy  respecting  putting  to 
death  two  English  gentlemen,  Stoddart  and  Conolly?"  They  answered,  "  Your 
Majesty  knows  best."  His  Majesty  said,  "  Let  us  say  that  they  committed  high 
treason,  and  therefore  we  have  seized  them  and  put  them  to  death."  The  Grandees 
said  to  the  Ameer,  "  This  gentleman  who  is  now  come,  seize  him  and  put  him  to 
death.  Who  is  he  ?  He  may  be  coming  with  an  army  towards  Bokhara,  and  he 
may  possibly  take  Bokhara."  His  Majesty  answered,  "  Let  us  wait  to  see  wnat 
he  will  do  when  he  arrives  in  Bokhara." 

A  Chamberlain  from  the  King  then  went  to  Joseph  Wolff,  saying,  "  Tell  us  what 
is  your  object,  that  I  may  inform  His  Majesty."  Joseph  Wolff  answered,  "  I  have 
letters  from  the  Shah  and  Sultan.  Why  do  you  maltreat  a  stranger?  And  why 
have  you  put  to  death  two  English  gentlemen  ?  Answer  me  what  was  their  crime  ? 
By  what  religion  or  creed  is  this  right,  killing  your  guests  ?"  The  King  of  Bokhara 
had  no  answer  to  give.  The  Chamberlain  then  left. 

The  King  sent  Joseph  Wolff  to  the  Nayeb,  Abdul  Samut  Khan,  to  receive 
answers  from  him  about  the  execution.  Joseph  Wolff,  on  a  Monday,  at  nine 
o'clock,  went  with  Dil  Assa  Khan,  whom  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla  had  sent  from 
Meshed  with  him,  in  company  with  a  Makhram,  Mullah  Kasem,  to  Abdul  Samut 
Khan.  They  seated  themselves  on  the  balcony  of  the  house  of  the  Nayeb,  with 
Abdul  Samut  Khan.  A  conversation  then  took  place  on  the  subject  of  Stoddart 
and  Conolly,  opened  by  Dr.  Wolff.  Abdul  Samut  Khan  attributed  to  Stoddart  and 
Conolly  crimes  that  they  had  not  committed  (of  which  Heaven  is  witness).  Dr. 
Wolff  perceived  that  he  should  be  implicated  in  a  troublesome  matter  if  he  said, 
"  You  have  made  false  imputations  with  respect  to  those  gentlemen,"  and  probably 
be  put  to  death  himself.  He  said  nothing. 

Afterward  Abdul  Samut  Khan  said  to  Joseph  Wolff,  that  His  Majesty  had  writ- 
ten a  letter  to  the  Dowlat,  asking  information  as  to  the  capacity  in  which  they  had 


APPENDIX.  363 

come  to  Bokhara.  From  the  time  of  their  arrival  in  Bokhara  other  kings  had  be- 
come rebellious.  (This  account  was  false,  and  these  gentlemen  calumniated  ;  for 
from  the  most  ancient  times,  from  the  reign  of  Shah  Hydur,  the  father  of  the  pres- 
ent King,  Khokand  and  Khiva  had  been  yearly  at  war  with  Bokhara.) 

Joseph  Wolff  replied,  "  The  letter  which  the  Dowlat  received  through  India 
was  answered  a  year  ago.  Why  do  you  utter  falsehoods  ?"  (But  this  letter  had 
not  reached  the  King,  though  it  had  certainly  been  received  by  the  Nayeb.  The 
Nayeb  only  owned  to  this  two  days  before  his  departure  for  Khokand.  He  had  re- 
ceived it  by  Nasir  Hirullah,  a  Cabulee.) 

We  come  now  to  later  circumstances.  From  the  arrival  of  Joseph  Wolff  until 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan  came,  Joseph  Wolff  was  greatly  distressed  hi  mind,  as  shall  be 
explained. 

One  day  they  brought  Joseph  Wolff  to  Abdul  Samut  Khan's  house,  when  the 
following  circumstances  occurred,  in  company  with  Mullah  Kasem,  the  Chamber- 
lain, and  Dil  Assa  Khan.  After  the  crimes  which  they  imputed  to  Stoddart  and 
Conolly  had  been  named,  which  Joseph  Wolff  refused  to  answer,  the  Chamberlain 
went  to  the  King,  and  reported  his  silence,  and  represented  that  Joseph  Wolff,  who 
had  heard  the  offence  of  the  officers  in  the  Nayeb's  house,  and  the  statement 
against  Stoddart  and  Conolly,  was  convinced  of  their  guilt.  The  Ameer  was 
greatly  delighted  to  J<sarn  that  Joseph  Wolff  assented  to  their  reasonable  sentence. 
After  the  departure  of  the  Makhram,  the  Nayeb  said,  "  The  gentlemen  were  inno- 
cent ;  the  King  put  them  to  death  unjustly.  I  have  been  two  years  in  his  service 
without  pay  myself,  and  he  has  dismissed  me.  If  the  English  Government  would 
send  a  »ian  to  Shahr-Sabz,  Khokand,  Organtsh,  Balkh,  to  make  an  alliance  with 
them,  and  give  me  twenty  thousand  tillahs,  I  myself  would  kill  the  Ameer  hi  re- 
taliation for  the  death  of  the  English  gentlemen." 

Joseph  Wolff.  "  The  illustrious  Dowlat  does  not  sanction  the  murder  of  Sov- 
ereigns. We  do  not  seek  a  name  of  infamy." 

(From  the  time  that  Joseph  Wolff  came  to  the  Nayeb's  house  to  the  period  when 
he  went  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  to  Meshed,  he  was  on  each  separate  occasion 
guarded  night  and  day,  so  that  no  one  could  have  access  to  him,  nor  could  he  hold 
speech  with  any  unperceived.) 

The  Nayeb  produced  on  one  occasion  a  paper,  signed  by  Stoddart  and  Conolly, 
that  the  Nayeb  had  lent  them  three  thousand  tillahs,  which  they  were  in  debt.  "  I 
will  send  you,"  said  he  to  Joseph  Wolff,  "  six  thousand  tiilahs  on  behalf  of  Abdullah 
Khan  (his  son).  Have  a  care  that  hereafter  those  three  thousand  tillahs,  with  tho 
six  thousand  tillahs  which  I  will  send  you,  be  paid.  You  will  give  a  written  under- 
taking, that  the  interest  shall  be  paid  to  my  son."  Joseph  Wolff  agreed  to  this. 
He  took  three  thousand  tillahs.  The  other  three  thousand  were  disbursed  for  the 
journey. 

Every  day  the  Nayeb  used  to  say,  "  His  Majesty  will  give  you  leave  to  depart 
to-morrow."  (The  fact  was  not  known  among  the  people,  that  at  this  time  the 
Ameer  had  determined  to  kill  Joseph  Wolff ;  but  this  was  the  fact.)  Had  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan  not  secured  the  safe  conduct  of  Joseph  Wolff,  he  would  have  been 
killed  as  Messrs.  Stoddart  and  Conolly  were.  The  Ameer,  when  he  learnt  the 
arrival  of  the  Eljee,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  from  the  Shah,  the  shadow  of  God,  (may 
God  prolong  his  empire  and  government,)  with  several  requests,  determined  to  see 
him,  and  to  learn  what  they  were.  He  asked  him  by  the  Shekhawl,  for  what  pur- 
pose he  came.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan :  "  I,  the  slave,  come  from  the  King  of  Persia 
with  four  requests.  I  have  a  letter  in  which  they  are  contained.  Let  the  King  of 


364  APPENDIX. 

Bokhara  receive  it."  After  the  arrival  of  the  Khan  they  invited  him  to  an  audi- 
ence. Abbas  Kouli  Khan  brought  a  royal  letter,  with  greetings  on  the  part  of  the 
Shah,  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara.  Having  taken  the  letter,  he  went  to  the  Ameer. 
After  compliments,  he  preferred  the  following  requests  to  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara  : 
1st.  The  release  of  Joseph  Wolff.  2nd.  The  liberation  of  slaves.  3rd.  Liberation 
of  Muhammed  Taki  the  Astrologer's  wife,  who  was  in  slavery  with  the  Ameer. 
4th.  Respecting  Mowr. 

The  King  of  Bokhara  answered,  "  With  respect  to  the  departure  of  the  Rever- 
end Joseph  Wolff,  I  have  no  difficulty.  I  am  very  glad  that  you  are  come.  This 
is  my  will  in  common  with  that  of  the  King  of  Persia.  We  are  going  to  send  an 
Eljee,  in  company  with  Joseph  Wolff,  to  England,  to  please  you.  Several  people 
from  Persia  I  shall  give  you,  and  we  shall  send  them  in  your  company  to  Persia. 
Never  has  an  instance  been  known  from  the  most  ancient  time,  that  any  King  ever 
has  taken  slaves  from  Turkistaun  into  Persia.  As  thou  art  the  devoted  slave  of 
Iraun  and  a  perfect  man,  we  give  you  Joseph  Wolff  for  your  safe  conduct.  Take 
him  with  you  and  also  those  slaves*  that  I  have  permitted." 

Then  Joseph  Wolff  and  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  agreed  to  go  together  to  Meshed. 
Then  there  came  the  news  of  the  march  to  Khokand.  Praise  be  to  God,  the  Ameer 
went  there  and  was  defeated,  and  returned ;  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  was  allowed  to 
depart  with  Joseph  Wolff,  having  taken  with  them  the  slaves  sent  out  from  Meshed. 
Then  there  came  another  letter  from  the  Shah,  demanding  the  release  of  Joseph 
Wolff. 

Joseph  Wolff  one  day  said  to  the  Nayeb,  in  the  presence  of  Mullah  Kasem  and 
Dil  Assa  Khan,  "  The  Dowlat  has  sent  by  India  a  letter  to  the  King  of  Bokhara, 
and  in  the  country  of  Cabul  five  hundred  rupees  were  paid  to  an  Affghaun  to  con- 
vey the  letter  to  Bokhara,  and  that  Affghaun  lives  at  Balkh."  Several  days  after 
the  arrival  of  Joseph  Wolff,  when  the  news  of  this  letter  went  abroad,  Nasir  Hirul- 
lah,  a  Cabulee,  came  to  the  Nayeb,  saying,  "  This  Affghaun,  who  brought  from 
Cabul  the  answer  to  the  letter  of  the  King  of  Bokhara,  is  in  Bokhara  in  my  house, 
and  gave  me  no  account  of  the  letter  from  fear.  Shall  I  take  the  letter  and  give  it 
to  the  King  ?  It  is  respecting  the  release  of  Stoddart  and  Conolly.  Having  learnt 
that  a  gentleman  has  come  from  Iraun  to  Bokhara,  this  man  carne  from  Balkh  to 
Bokhara."  The  Nayeb  informed  the  King  that  the  letter  had  come  from  England 
to  Cabul,  and  from  Cabul  to  Bokhara ;  and  that  from  fear  it  had  not  been  delivered 
to  His  Majesty,  and  that  the  letter  was  at  Balkh.  "  Let  them  bring  it  from  Balkh," 
said  the  King.  The  Cabulee  and  other  persons  were  sent  to  fetch  it.  Some  time 
after  this  event,  the  expedition  to  Khokand  took  place.  The  Ameer  sent  a  man 
from  Samarcand  for  the  Nayeb,  that  he  should  come  with  soldiers  and  four  cannon 
hi  order  that  he  might  march  against  Khokand.  One  day  before  the  Nayeb  set  ou 
from  Samarcand,  the  letter  came  from  Balkh.  The  letter  was  sealed,  but  broken 
in  the  middle.  The  Nayeb  gave  the  letter  to  one  of  his  men  to  show  it  to  Joseph 
Wolff,  and  said  he  was  going  with  the  letter  to  give  it  to  the  King  at  Samarcand. 
Having  shown  the  letter  to  Joseph  Wolff,  he  took  it  away  and  brought  it  to  the 
King.  After  the  Nayeb  came  back  from  the  march  to  Khokand,  he  gave  the  letter 
to  me,  Mirza  Abdul  Wahab,  being  at  that  time  in  the  house  of  the  Nayeb,  and  said, 
"  Carry  the  letter  to  Joseph  Wolff  to  read  it."  Again,  His  Majesty,  after  reading 
it,  said,  "  It  is  no  answer  to  my  letter  to  the  British  Government.  It  is  just  that  I 
kill  this  Frankee  also."  If  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  had  not  been  at  Bokhara,  Joseph 

*  The  Ameer  meant  the  slaves  that  had  purchased  their  freedom.    J.  W. 


APPENDIX.  365 

Wolff  would  have  been  killed,  like  the  other  English  gentlemen,  but  he  led  him 
away.  I,  who  am  Abdul  Wahab,  showed  this  letter  to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  and 
told  him  what  the  Nayeb  said.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  said  to  me,  "  Give  the  letter  to 
Joseph  Wolff,  but  do  not  tell  him  what  the  Nayeb  said.  If  you  tell  Joseph  Wolff 
what  the  Ameer  has  said,  it  will  kill  him.  I  am  from  Iraun ;  there  will  I  carry  him. 
If  he  shall  die,  what  shall  I  say  to  the  Shah?"  I  gave  the  letter  to  Joseph  Wolff, 
but  said  not  a  word.  The  Nayeb  himself,  in  his  own  house,  said  to  Joseph  Wolff, 
that  the  King  had  said  as  above. 

But  with  respect  to  the  money  which  the  Nayeb  gave  to  Joseph  Wolff  one  day, 
the  Nayeb  gave  me  two  thousand  tillahs,  saying,  "  Take  them  to  the  house  of  Joseph 
Wolff,  and  give  them  to  him,  and  take  a  receipt  for  me,  sealed  up  "  I  carried  with 
me  the  two  thousand  tillahs.  Joseph  Wolff  gave  them  into  the  hands  of  Abdullah, 
and  Mehdee,  a  servant  of  the  Nayeb,  lent  to  Joseph  Wolff  for  the  purpose  of 
attending  him,  saying,  "  Count  them,  and  see  that  the  silver  is  right."  Having 
given  Joseph  Wolff  the  money,  I  came  to  the  house  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  and  sat 
down  for  about  an  hour,  when  Joseph  Wolff  brought  the  written  receipt  to  me, 
sealed  in  due  form,  acknowledging  that  the  two  thousand  tillahs  were  correct.  I, 
the  humble  servant,  took  the  receipt,  and  gave  it  to  the  Nayeb.  Two  days  had 
elapsed  from  the  giving  of  the  two  thousand  tillahs,  when  I  gave  him  one  thousand 
more,  in  the  presence  of  Ameer  Sarog  the  Turkomaun,  who  accompanied  Joseph 
Wolff  from  Meshed. 

Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  Joseph  Wolff,  Ameer  Sarog,  and  Kaher 
Kouli,  having  departed  from  Bokhara,  set  out  for  Meshed.  Night  and  day  the  sole 
thought  of  Ameer  Sarog,  of  Abdullah,  of  Kaher  Kouli,  of  the  men  of  Dil  Assa 
Khan,  was,  if  possible,  to  kill  Joseph  Wolff,  and  take  away  his  money.  Should  they 
not  be  able  to  kill  him,  they  determined  to  have  his  money.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan 
understood  their  design,  and  gave  Joseph  Wolff  one  Ibrahim,  a  servant  of  his  own  5 
and  in  the  night  he  kept  guard  over  him,  and  bound  his  bridle  to  mine.  During 
each  station  our  tents  were  pitched  side  by  side,  till  the  time  of  loading.  The  money, 
the  three  thousand  tillahs,  was  kept  in  the  trunk  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  Further 
occurrences  shall  be  related.  Saturday  evening,  12th  Rajab. 

One  hour  of  the  day  had  elapsed,  when  the  high  in  rank,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  and 
Joseph  Wolff,  with  Dil  Assa  Khan,  Abdullah,  Ameer  Sarog,  Kaher  Kouli,  with  the 
rest  of  the  attendants,  arrived  at  Jesman-Doo,  and  halted  for  a  time  in  a  garden  on 
the  border  of  a  tank.  Dil  Assa  Khan,  with  his  own  servants,  took  up  his  abode 
outside  the  garden.  When  the  first  of  the  sun  came,  we  mounted  our  horses  and 
set  out  for  Shahr  Islam.  They  halted  at  Shahr  Islam  in  a  mosque. 

Joseph  Wolff  came  to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  exclaiming,  "  For  God's  sake  come 
here,  Ameer  Sarog,  Kaher  Kouli,  Abdullah,  Dil  Assa  Khan,  Mortesa,  from  whom  I 
hired  camels  for  carrying  the  cash,  pick  quarrels  with  your  servant.  They  will  at 
last  kill  me ;  I  shall  not  arrive  in  Teheraun.  Having  broken  my  trunk  they  want 
to  carry  off  the  bag  of  money."  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  said  to  me,  Mirza  Abdul 
Wahab,  "  Run,  do  not  leave  the  money  in  the  hands  of  the  Englishman,  and  seal 
it  with  wax  and  a  seal."  To  another  servant,  whose  name  was  Fezullah,  it  was 
given  in  charge  to  look  after  the  money,  so  that  no  one  might  steal  it. 

We  quitted  Shahr  Islam.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  with  Joseph  Wolff,  took  up  his 
quarters  inside  a  house,  Dil  Assa  Khan  and  others  outside.  Provision  was  sent  to 
Joseph  Wolff  from  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  We  arrived  at  Karakol,  and  remained  in 
the  house  of  Shakerbeg,  which  is  the  House  of  the  King ;  Dil  Assa  Khan  and 


366  APPENDIX. 

others  outside,  on  the  bank  of  the  river.  Day  and  night  Abbas  Kouli  Khan's  ser- 
vants were  constantly  annoyed  by  Abdullah,  Ameer  Sarog,  and  Kaher  Kouli. 

From  Karakol  we  went  to  Alat.  In  Alat  we  had  one  common  abode  with  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan.  Here  Joseph  Wolff  gave  bread  and  a  sheep  to  the  slaves.  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan  gave  at  every  station  an  allowance  to  the  slaves,  until  the  day  when  we 
arrived  in  Meshed. 

Thence  we  departed,  and  to  the  village  of  Sayen.  There,  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord  of  the  Beard,  we  took  up  our  quarters.  Ameer  Sarog  said  to  Joseph  Wolff's 
servant,  "  If  the  Turkomauns  from  Khiva  come  and  assault  us,  I  shall  kill  Joseph 
Wolff,  and  take  away  his  money  ;  I  will  not  leave  it  for  the  Organtshee  to  take  it. 
The  Organtshee  may  take  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  along  with  the  slaves."  Abdullah 
came  and  told  this  to  Joseph  Wolff;  Joseph  Wolff  said  to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  "  If 
you  will  take  care  of  the  money,  well ;  if  not  I  will  pour  it  forth  in  the  Desert ; 
Ameer  Sarog  wishes  to  kill  me  for  the  money."  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  replied,  "  Ameer 
Sarog  dare  not  do  it ;  do  not  be  afraid."  Joseph  Wolff  was  not  satisfied  with  this. 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan  then  said  to  me,  "  Abdul  Wahab,  go  into  the  room  of  Joseph 
Wolff,  put  the  money  in  a  bag,  and  seal  the  mouth  of  it  with  wax  ;"  and  he  gave 
it  into  the  hands  of  Ali  Akbar,  the  baggage  carrier.  I  went  according  to  the  order 
of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan ;  I  took  the  money  of  Joseph  Wolff,  put  it  in  a  bag,  and  sealed 
it  with  wax.  I  kept  it  till  at  Myandasht,  where  I  gave  it  one  night  into  the.  hands 
of  Joseph  Wolff.  After  he  (Ali  Akbar)  had  taken  the  money,  Abdullah  repented 
that  he  had  told  Joseph  Wolff  this  circumstance,  which  induced  him  to  give  the 
money  to  the  baggage  guard. 

From  Sayen,  three  o'clock,  remaining  from  sunrise,  we  set  out  on  horseback,  and 
came  to  Kirya  Karab,  and  lodged  in  the  garden ;  a  guard  was  given  us.  We 
remained  about  the  prisoners  three  days,  until  they  had  passed  the  Jehoon  (Oxus), 
and  then  proceeded  to  Jehaar-Joo,  where  we  pitched  our  tent  outside  the  tower, 
which  was  destroyed  by  the  people  of  Organtsh.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  inquired  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Jehaar-Joo  respecting  the  way  to  Rafitak ;  their  reply  was  that  the 
way  to  Merve  through  Rafitak  was  near,  but  that  the  Organtshee  had  destroyed  the 
wells.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  spoke  to  Ahmed  Beyk,  the  governor,  to  send  some  men 
by  way  of  Rafitak  to  Merve,  to  dig  wells,  or  to  repair  those  which  might  have  been 
partly  destroyed. 

After  having  remained  four  days  in  Jehaar-Joo  to  recruit  a  little,  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan  and  Dr.  Wolff,  with  the  Bokharese  ambassadors,  set  off  within  three  hours  of 
sunset  for  Rafitak.  After  halting  one  hour  at  noon,  we  reached  Rafitak.  We 
stayed  there  one  night,  and  on  the  next  day,  within  three  hours  of  sunset,  we  took 
the  way  to  Auje  Aajee.  We  had  mounted  our  horses,  when  suddenly  the  Bokharese 
uttered  an  exclamation,  that  the  Organtshee  were  coming.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan 
despatched  some  men  to  ascertain  whence  these  troops  came.  They  returned  to 
the  Khan,  and  informed  him  that  they  were  the  troops  of  Ahmed  Beyk,  the  Gover- 
nor of  Jehaar-Joo.  One  of  the  horsemen  presented  himself  before  Kouli  Beyk,  the 
commander  of  the  horse,  saying  that  he  had  a  written  order  from  His  Majesty  the 
Ameer  to  this  effect.  They  were  to  demand  one  hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  gold, 
as  a  tribute  for  the  slaves  whom  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  had  taken  along  with  him  from 
Bokhara.  Kouli  Beyk,  having  received  the  order  of  the  King,  came  with  it  to 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  telling  him  how  the  king  demanded  this  sum  as  a  tribute  for 
passing  the  river,  and  that  it  was  to  be  paid  to  Ahmed  Beyk's  men.  To  this  Abbae 
Kouli  Khan  made  answer,  "  What  sort  of  a  principle  is  this  that  you  follow  ?  If 
you  granted  me  the  slaves,  why  do  you  require  tribute  for  them  ?  And  if  you  are 


APPENDIX.  367 

for  exacting  tribute,  why  pass  by  the  kindness  we  have  done,  for  we  furnished  slaves 
whom  you  might  take  with  you  to  Persia?  Slaves  certainly  have  no  property  of 
their  own.  The  expenses  of  the  inns,  including  hire,  I  defray  out  of  my  own  purse. 
I  myself  have  no  property  that  I  should  be  able  to  pay  you  tribute  for  the  slaves, 
and  they  have  nothing  to  pay  for  themselves."  They  replied,  "  It  is  not  so ;  one 
hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  gold  must  be  had."  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  said  hastily,  "  I 
will  write  a  letter  to  the  King  of  Bokhara,  asking  him  what  kind  of  a  plan  this  is 
that  he  follows.  If  he  desires  the  friendship  of  the  King  of  Persia,  why  should  he 
send  this  letter ;  or  if  he  does  not  wish  to  cultivate  his  alliance,  why  should  he  have 
given  the  slaves  leave  to  depart  ?"  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  together  with  Sabhan  Kouli 
Beyk,  the  chief  steward  at  Court,  wrote  to  the  King  about  the  money  demanded, 
and  sent  an  express  to  Bokhara. 

The  Bokharese  horsemen  going  on  with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  we  went  forward  to 
the  station  of  Auje  Aaje.  In  the  course  of  the  way,  Ameer  Sarog,  Abdullah, 
Mortesa,  and  Kaher  Kouli,  were  talking  together.  They  said,  "  If  the  Organtshee 
come  up,  let  us  kill  Joseph  Wolff,  and  carry  off  his  property."  They  thought  he 
had  two  thousand  pieces  of  gold  deposited  in  the  chest.  They  had  not  learned  that 
there  was  any  money  in  the  possession  of  Ali  Akbar,  or  in  the  part  where  the  chest 
of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  was  kept.  From  the  first  station  to  the  last,  Ali  Akbar,  who 
had  charge  of  it,  kept  riding  along  by  the  side  of  it,  in  order  that,  if  it  could  be 
prevented,  no  one  might  come  against  it. 

Night  and  day,  Abdullah,  Ameer  Sarog,  Mortesa,  and  Kaher  Kouli,  were  con- 
certing plans  about  Dr.  Wolff;  I  heard  them  talking  together  and  concerting  their 
plan.  They  said,  "  Let  us  make  a  quarrel  between  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  the 
Turkomauns.  They  will  kill  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  and  we  will  kill  Joseph  Wolff, 
and  carry  off  his  property  till  we  arrive  at  the  station  of  Auje  Aaje."  The  men 
of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  the  Turkomauns  began  quarrelling  at  a  well  of  water 
about  the  return  to  Bokhara.  It  happened  that  they  were  just  returned  from  Bok- 
hara. They  bade  us  take  care  of  the  villany  of  Kaher  Kouli,  Ameer  Sarog, 
Abdullah,  and  Mortesa.  But  it  so  happened  that  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  by  one  means 
or  another,  such  as  giving  them  presents,  kept  the  Turkomauns  quiet  till  we  arrived 
at  the  station  of  Merve  Kahnah. 

Sometimes  Ameer  Sarog  came  up  to  Dr.  Wolff,  saying,  "  Come  out  of  the  way 
of  the  desert,  I  will  conduct  you  to  Khiva,  and  from  Khiva  I  will  bring  you  by  way 
of  Mazanderaun  to  Teheraun."  Dr.  Wolff  was  for  agreeing  to  it.  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan,  when  informed  of  what  he  had  said,  told  Dr.  Wolff,  "  They  want  to  get  you 
into  the  desert,  and  kill  you,  and  carry  off  your  property  ;  and  I  who  have  brought 
you  safe  from  Bokhara,  shall  not  be  able  to  entrust  you  to  the  care  of  the  English 
Envoy,  Colonel  Shell."  Dr.  Wolff  then  ceased  to  listen  to  him. 

We  set  out  from  Auje  Aaje,  and  having  halted  one  hour  at  noon,  we  went  on  to 
old  Merve.  Here  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  Dr.  Joseph  Wolff  lodged  in  the  house  of 
the  Khaleefa  Abdarrahman.  The  Bokharese  ambassadors,  when  they  came,  lodged 
in  the  castle. 

Ameer  Sarog  said  privately  to  the  Turkomauns,  "  The  Englishman  has  ten 
thousand  pieces  of  gold :  if  you  frighten  him,  and  tell  him  you  must  have  tribute  for 
the  slaves,  he  will  give  it  you  through  fear.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  also  has  a  precious 
knife  and  sword.  Let  us  take  his  property  and  kill  him  and  sell  his  men  to  the 
Organtshee."  We  saw  that  the  thousand  Turkomauns  and  Abdullah  conspired  to 
execute  it  together  with  Mortesa.  But  praise  be  to  God,  he  did  not  allow  them  to 
accomplish  their  design.  Kaher  Kouli  began  complaining  to  Dr.  Wolff,  and  saying, 


368  ASPENDIX. 

"  You  did  not  give  me  any  money,  when  you  were  at  Bokhara ;  you  must  give  me 
some  here.  If  you  don't,  I  will  seize  your  property." 

Dr.  Wolff  went  to  the  tent  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  to  tell  him.  He  replied,  "  As 
long  as  I  am  alive,  no  one  shall  speak  in  this  way.  Don't  distress  yourself — be 
quiet."  He  said  to  me  (Abdul  Wahab),  "  If  Kaher  Kouli  comes,  let  me  know;  I 
will  come  and  deal  with  him."  When  Kaher  Kouli  came,  I  brought  him  to  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan.  The  latter  said  to  him,  "  I  have  heard  that  you  have  been  more 
than  once  to  Dr.  Joseph  Wolff,  demanding  money :  Heaven  knows,  if  you  do  it 
again,  I  will  take  care  that  you  suffer  for  it."  Kaher  Kouli,  whatever  he  might 
before  have  received  from  Dr.  Wolff,  never  demanded  money  from  him  again.  He 
was  kept  in  awe  by  Abbas  Kouli  Khan. 

Ameer  Sarog  too  never  repeated  his  demand.  However,  he  secretly  excited  a 
disaffection  among  the  Turkomauns.  One  of  them  formed  a  plot.  He  took  hold 
of  the  bridle  of  the  horse  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  said,  "  We  have  no  injunction 
from  the  King  himself,  but  we  have  a  strict  charge  from  the  minister,  telling  us  that 
he  does  not  release  our  prisoners,  and  as  such  we  are  to  keep  a  strict  watch  over 
you.  Whenever  we  have  a  command  to  that  effect,  we  will  let  you  go."  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan,  who  did  not  comprehend  the  drift  of  all  this,  looked  at  the  servant  of 
the  King  and  said  to  him,  "  What  is  this  you  have  in  your  minds  ?  There  is  a  per- 
fectly good  understanding  between  the  King  of  Iraun  and  the  King  of  Turaun.  I 
will  write  a  letter  to  the  royal  court,  begging  that  a  command  may  be  given  to  the 
minister  to  send  a  certain  number  of  soldiers,  and  the  King  of  Bokhara,  on  his  part, 
will  send  some,  and  together  they  will  soon  stop  you." 

Just  at  this  time,  a  swift  horseman  whom  they  had  sent  from  Rafitak  to  Bokhara, 
on  matters  connected  with  the  tribute  for  passing  the  river  and  the  tribute  at  Merve, 
arrived.  A  favourable  letter  was  received  from  the  King  of  Bokhara,  addressed  to 
Arak  Chojah,  the  governor  of  Merve,  and  the  chief  of  the  Safeedan,  a  Turkomaun 
tribe,  notifying  to  them  that  he  had  granted  the  slaves  to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  We 
therefore  paid  no  tribute.  He  further  commanded  them  to  pay  all  respect  and 
attention  to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  till  he  should  have  passed  through  his  territory. 
The  result  of  this  courtesy  of  the  King  of  Bokhara  was,  that  the  Turkomauns 
exhibited  all  due  regard  to  him.  They  even  sought  his  protection,  beseeching  him 
to  receive  acknowledgments  from  them,  and  expressing  their  fear,  that  if  he  did  not, 
the  minister  would  set  their  slaves  at  liberty.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  also  gave  the 
Khaleefa  one  shawl  gown,  and  five  pounds  of  tea ;  to  one  of  his  sons  he  gave  a  silk 
gown  ;  and  to  another  an  axcellent  javelin. 

He  obtained  information  that  the  Turkomauns  were  making  a  conspiracy  to  fall 
upon  himself  by  the  way,  to  take  him,  and  carry  off  the  slaves  to  Khiva,  to  kill 
Joseph  Wolff,  and  to  seize  his  property.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  gave  directions  to  his 
servants,  in  case  they  should  attempt  to  put  their  design  into  execution.  The  Kha- 
leefa, being  aware  of  their  intention,  took  ten  horsemen  of  the  tribe  of  Salur,  and 
twenty  horsemen  of  the  tribe  of  Saruk,  and  they  came  provided  with  spears  to 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan  at  the  bank  of  the  river  Tekka,  and  partook  of  a  meal  with  him 
at  the  bank  of  the  river.  On  the  next  day  the  Khaleefa  told  the  Turkomauns  that 
he  would  accompany  them  with  one  of  his  sons,  Rachman  Birdee,  and  would  go 
with  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  by  the  river  Sarakhs.  The  Khaleefa  said,  "  You  go  with 
my  son,  Rahman  Werde,  and  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  to  Sarakhs ;  from  Sarakhs  he 
must  return."  At  Sarakhs  we  were  guests  of  Khan  Saat.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and 
Joseph  Wolff  gave  presents  to  Khan  Saat,  and  then  we  went  on  to  Olugh  Baba. 
There  Abbas  Kouli  Beyk  demanded  a  hundred  and  fifty  tillahs  for  the  slaves. 


APPENDIX.  369 

Abbas  Kouli  Khan  replied,  "  I  have  before  now  travelled  from  the  State  of  Iraun  to 
that  of  Turaun.  I  have  had  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold  to  pay  expenses.  You, 
who  are  so  great  an  ambassador,  have  not  one  hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  gold  ;  and 
for  this  sum  you  are  getting  a  bad  name  for  your  King."  Sabhan  Kouli  Beyk 
replied,  "  I  know  nothing  about  the  honour  of  the  King,  or  of  any  one  else ;  I  must 
have  one  hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  gold."  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  said,  "  I  have  no 
ready  money  at  my  disposal,  and  the  slaves  have  none  of  their  own.  From  Bokhara 
to  Meshed  I  am  paying  their  expenses  out  of  my  own  purse.  Do  not  act  in  this 
way ;  you  are  going  to  Iraun  yourself,  and  there  you  will  have  a  bad  name,  and  will 
deprive  the  King  of  Bokhara  of  all  honour  there."  Sabhan  Kouli  Beyk  replied, 
"  Give  me  one  hundred  and  fifty  pieces  of  gold  for  passage-money,  and  let  the  King 
of  Bokhara  be  without  honour ;  that  is  no  concern  of  mine.  If  you  give  me  this 
sum  I  shall  go  on  to  Iraun ;  and  if  you  don't,  I  shall  return  to  Bokhara  with  the 
slaves."  Abbas  Kouli  said,  "  Very  well !  if  you  mean  to  take  the  slaves,  take  them." 
Sabhan  Kouli  Beyk  directed  the  Iblat,  a  Turkomaun  tribe,  living  on  the  bank  of  the 
Sarakhs,  to  take  the  slaves,  and  carry  them  off, — to  seize  all  the  property  of  Abbas 
Kouli  Khan, — to  kill  the  Englishman,  and  to  take  his  money.  Once  we  saw  about 
six  thousand  Turkomauns  surrounding  the  tent  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  Joseph 
Wolff.  They  were  all  about  the  chests  of  Abbas  Kouli  Khan.  I,  Abdul  Wahab, 
was  aware  of  the  necessity  of  defending  them,  because  the  property  of  Joseph 
Wolff  was  there ;  and  I  knew  that  if  we  neglected  this,  the  Turkomauns  would 
make  a  spoil  of  them.  Ali  Akbar  was  always  kept  stationed  by  the  chests.  Once 
the  Turkomauns  made  an  attack  upon  them.  Ali  Akbar  came  to  me  and  said, 
"  Make  haste,  and  come  to  the  cherts."  I  came,  and  saw  about  fifty  Turkomauns 
around  them>  with  the  design  of  plundering  them.  They  had  completely  surrounded 
them,  and  were  in  every  d/rerdon  about  Joseph  Wolff.  He  went  to  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan,  and  said  to  him,  "  The  tribute  for  the  slaves  had  better  be  paid  out  of  the 
money  that  is  deposited  in  the  chests."  He  replied,  "  If  this  is  done,  the  Turko- 
mauns will  be  sure  to  repeat  their  conduct,  and  no  one  will  be  able  to  bear  them." 

Abbas  Kouli  Khan  sent  for  Chajem  Shakur,  a  person  of  consideration  among  the 
Turkomauns.  When  he  came,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  said  to  him,  "  How  is  it  that 
there  is  all  this  trouble  with  the  Turkomauns?  If  you  seek  tribute  from  the  slaves, 
they  have  no  property.  From  Bokhara  to  Meshed,  I,  out  of  mere  kindness,  pay 
their  expenses.  Do  leave  off  acting  in  this  monstrous  way,  and  do  not  annoy  the 
Englishman  by  going  continually  to  his  tent.  Heaven  knows,  if  you  do  the  slightest 
injury  to  any  of  the  people  of  the  caravan,  the  Government  shall  hear  of  it,  and 
they  will  settle  the  matter  with  you."  Chajem  Shakur  replied,  "  If  either  you  or 
the  Englishman  suffer  the  least  injury,  even  as  much  as  a  grain  of  mustard-seed, 
from  the  Turkomauns,  I,  Chajem  Shakur,  with  my  whole  tribe,  shall  suffer  by  the 
Assaff-ood-Dowla."  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  made  answer,  "  If  you  speak  truly,  go 
and  tell  the  Turkomauns  to  disperse."  Chajem  Shakur  made  no  reply,  but  obeyed 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  went  to  the  Turkomauns  and  told  them  to  go  their  own  way. 

From  the  station  at  Alak,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  Joseph  Wolff,  and  Sabhan  Kouli 
Beyk,  the  Master  of  the  Kitchen,  together  with  Abul  Kasem  and  myself,  went  to- 
wards Shorak.  At  Alak,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  gave  one  hundred  tillahs  present  and 
delivered  it  into  the  hands  of  Sabhan  Kouli  Beyk.  The  latter  having  received  it, 
went  off,  and  we  made  for  the  station  of  Shorak. 

The  English  Government  are  aware  that  the  aim  of  those  employed  in  the  Bok- 
hara service  is  to  preserve  the  honour  of  their  King,  and  that  the  aim  of  Abbas 
Kouli  khan  was  the  same  with  regard  to  the  King  of  Iraun.  He  brought  Bihzar 

47 


370  APPENDIX. 

Mahr,  who  had  come  from  Bokhara  to  keep  an  especial  eye  towards  the  honour  of  the 
King  of  Iraun,  to  Joseph  Wolff,  accompanied  by  about  a  thousand,  great  and  small, 
whom  he  had  set  at  liberty,  and  the  expense  being  defrayed,  he  took  them  to  Meshed. 
We  next  went  to  Mazduran.  In  the  course  of  the  journey,  Mullah  Mehdee  Is- 
laam  ladeed  came  to  Joseph  WollF.  At  Mazduran  we  happened  to  pitch  our  tent8 
close  by  that  of  Dr.  Wolff,  at  the  bank  of  the  river.  Joseph  Wolff's  great  desire 
seemed  to  be  to  reach  Meshed.  From  Mazduran  we  went  to  Chehar  Gumbad. 
There,  in  the  midst  of  the  desert,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  Joseph  Wolff  pitched  their 
tents  at  the  bank  of  the  river.  Meer  Abul  Kasem  had  said  to  Joseph  Wolff  at 
Mazduran,  "  You  must  give  me  presents  previous  to  your  entering  Meshed ;  for  I 
must  enter  Meshed  in  the  midst  of  the  people  with  new  trappings."  Joseph  Wolff 
replied,  "  The  Envoy  at  Teheraun  will  give  you  a  present."  At  Chehar  Gumbad, 
Meer  Abul  Kasem  sent  his  men  forward  to  attend  Joseph  Wolff,  in  order  that  we 
might  arrive  on  the  next  day  at  Meshed.  He  again  said,  "  I  have  no  good  trap- 
pings. You  must  assuredly  give  me  a  robe  of  honour ;  for  to-morrow  we  shall  be 
entering  Meshed."  Joseph  "Wolff  replied,  "  I  have  nothing  but  a  single  garment,  a 
robe  of  honour,  which  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Bokhara  gave  me  as  a  present,  and 
one  Cashmeer  shawl  which  I  got  for  my  wife.  I  must  take  the  present  of  the 
Bashal  with  me  to  London.  Meer  Abul  Kasem  more  than  once  said  to  Joseph 
Wolff  in  an  outrageous  way,  "  Let  them  go  and  fetch  me  the  shawl  that  the  Bashal 
gave  you  as  a  present."  Dr.  Wolff  said  that  he  had  no  choice  ;  he  gave  the  shawl 
to  Meer  Abul  Kasem.  But  the  latter  was  not  satisfied  with  the  shawl.  He  de- 
manded money  for  it.  Dr.  Wolff  was  unable  to  endure  this.  He  sent  somo  men, 
and  they  took  away  the  shawl  again  from  Meer  Abul  Kasem,  who  remained  degra- 
ded among  the  people. 

Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  Joseph  Wolff,  and  the  ambassadors,  were  treated  with  great 
respect  and  honour  at  Meshed.  Joseph  Wolff  stayed  in  the  house  of  the  Jew,  Mul- 
lah Mehdee,  and  the  Bokharese  ambassadors  together  in  one  house.  At  the  arrival 
in  Meshed,  through  the  lapse  of  time,  Joseph  Wolff  became  very  indisposed.  They 
bled  him  plentifully.  Each  day  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  sent  to  inquire  after  his  health, 
and  very  frequently  went  himself  to  see  him.  Hussein,  the  son  of  the  minister  of 
state,  continually  sent  the  Ferash  Baashe"e  (director  of  police)  to  attend  upon  Joseph 
Wolff.  The  latter  sometimes  sent  Mullah  Mehdee  Islaam  ladeed  to  wait  upon  Ab- 
bas Kouli  Khan.  Joseph  Wolff  declared  that  the  kindness  he  had  received  was  un- 
paralleled, and  begged  that  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  would  accept  the  two  thousand  pieces 
of  gold  deposited  in  the  chests,  only  reserving  enough  for  necessary  expenses.  To 
this  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  replied,  "  All  the  kindness  I  have  shown  was  not  for  pecu- 
niary reward,  but  to  promote  a  good  feeling  between  the  governments  of  Iraun  and 
England,  and  the  money  remains  precisely  as  it  has  been  entrusted  to  AH  Akbar 
who  has  charge  of  the  chests.  You  might,  with  reason,  have  some  fear  on  this  point, 
when  you  were  anywhere  near  Bokhara ;  but,  thank  heaven,  there  is  no  cause  for 
such  fear  at  Meshed."  Sometimes  Mullah  Mehdee  was  for  agreeing  to  what  Ab- 
bas Kouli  Khan  said.  Sometimes  he  inquired  of  me,  Abdul  Wahab, "  How  is  it  that 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan  borrows  money  of  the  merchants,  and  does  not  use  part  of  the 
money  entrusted  to  him  ?"  I  gave  answer,  "  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  shows  kindness  for 
the  sake  of  a  good  feeling  between  the  two  States,  not  for  the  sake  of  reward.  And 
be  assured  of  this  much,  that  he  has  not  touched,  and  will  not  touch,  a  deposit." 

Joseph  Wolff  gave  Ameer  Abul  Kasem,  who  was  to  go  to  England  as  ambassa- 
dor, a  Cashmeer  shawl  as  a  present.  Hussein  Khan,  the  minister  of  the  Khakan, 
sent  a  splendid  horse,  as  a  present,  for  the  service  of  Joseph  Wolff.  The  minister 


APPENDIX.  371 

of  state  sent  a  list  of  articles  to  Hussein  Khan,  which  were  to  be  sent  in  his  name  to 
Joseph  Wolff.  The  articles  were,  a  shawl  from  the  AssafF-ood-Dowla,  a  horse,  and 
sweetmeats. 

The  wish  of  all  was  to  get  away  from  Meshed.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  saw  that 
Joseph  Wolff  was  unable  to  ride  on  horseback.  He  went  to  the  apartments  of  Hus- 
sein Khan,  and  said  to  him,  "Joseph  Wolff  is  unable  to  ride ;  a  takht-rawan  (litter) 
should  be  prepared  for  him,  that  he  may  proceed  by  it."  Hussein  gave  directions, 
through  his  Ferash  Baashee,  and  they  got  one  ready  in  five  days.  Joseph  Wolff 
made  use  of  this  till  he  reached  Teheraun.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  Mullah  Mehdee, 
and  all  the  people  of  the  khafeelah  (caravan)  accompanied  him  till  we  reached  As- 
kariyah,  distant  one  parasang  from  Meshed.  Here  Hussein  Khan  sent  a  Farash, 
i.  e.,  honorary  guard,  to  Joseph  Wolff. 

From  the  station  at  Askariyah,  we  went  on,  satisfactorily,  five  parasangs  to  Sha- 
reef  Abad,  and  took  our  place  on  the  side  of  a  river.  From  Shareef  Abad  we  ad- 
vanced eight  parasangs,  and  pitched  our  tent  under  the  shade  of  some  trees  in  the 
city  Kadam-Gah.  From  this  place  we  went  on  five  parasangs  quite  comfortably, 
when  we  reached  Nishapoor,  and  lodged  at  the  caravanseray.  The  commander  of 
the  forces  went  to  see  Joseph  Wolff,  and  took  several  presents  along  with  him.  We 
remained  one  day  in  Nishapoor,  and  on  the  next  day  we  set  off,  and  after  travelling 
twelve  parasangs,  we  reached  Zagphranee,  and  took  up  our  station  at  the  side  of  a  river. 

From  Saineen,  which  is  under  subjection  to  the  Assaff-ood-Dowla,  to  the  station 
in  the  midst  of  the  desert  lying  towards  Teheraun,  AH  Akbar,  who  had  charge  of 
the  chests,  and  myself,  had  no  rest,  day  or  night,  on  account  of  the  two  thousand 
pieces  of  gold,  which  had  been  entrusted  to  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  ;  till  the  time  when, 
at  the  station  of  Miyandasht,  I  delivered  them  into  the  hands  of  Joseph  Wolff,  in 
the  presence  of  Mullah  Mehdee. 

From  Zagphranee,  we  proceeded  six  parasangs  to  the  city  of  Sabzawar,  and  re- 
mained outside  the  town.  At  every  resting-place,  from  Bokhara  to  Geshlak,  which 
is  towards  Teheraun,  morning  or  evening,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  took  care  to  conduct 
Dr.  Wolff  from  the  station.  This  was  the  case  as  far  as  Geshlak,  when  he  became 
safe  on  the  way  to  Teheraun.  From  Sabzawar,  we  travelled  seven  parasangs  to 
Sudchar.  Joseph  Wolff,  accompanied  by  Mullah  Mehdee,  Ameer  Pak,  and  the 
servants,  stayed  within  the  village  ;  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  the  Bokharese  ambassa- 
dors outside.  From  the  village  of  Sudchar  we  proceeded  five  parasangs  to  Mazy- 
nan,  and  stayed  by  the  side  of  a  river.  Here  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  was  treated  with 
great  honour.  Joseph  Wolff  went  from  Mazynan,  seven  parasangs,  to  Abbas  Abad, 
and  stayed  at  the  castle.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  the  Bokharese  ambassadors 
lodged  at  the  caravanseray  of  Shah  Abbas. 

From  Abbas  Abad,  six  parasangs  brought  us  to  Miyandasht.  Dr.  Wolff  stayed 
at  the  castle.  He  several  times  wished  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  to  accept  of  the  two 
thousand  pieces  of  gold  which  were  contained  in  the  chests,  but  he  would  not  con- 
sent. Abbas  Kouli  Khan  directed  me  to  take  the  money  to  Mullah  Mehdee,  to  be 
taken  care  of  for  Joseph  Wolff;  to  show  him  the  seal  and  deliver  it  up  to  him.  Af- 
terwards a  note  reached  me,  telling  me  to  take  the  money  and  bring  it  back.  I 
took  it,  and  delivered  it,  as  I  was  directed.  A  number  of  persons  then  came ;  I 
again  took  possession  of  it,  to  keep  it  for  Abbas  Kouli  Khan. 

From  Miyandasht  we  went  five  parasangs  to  Miyamee.  Here  Abbas  Kouli 
Khan  and  all  the  ambassadors  lodged  in  the  caravanseray.  From  Miyamee  we 
advanced  nine  parasangs  to  the  city  of  Shahrud,  and  stayed  outside  it.  Joseph 
Wolff  was  at  the  castle.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  came  to  him  to  inquire  after  his 


372  APPENDIX. 

health.  Next,  Joseph  Wolff,  Abbas  Kouli  Khan,  and  the  Bokharese  ambassadors, 
went  five  parasangs  to  the  village  of  Deh  Mulla,  and  halted  by  the  side  of  a  river. 
Here  Ameer  Abul  Kasem  sent  his  son  at  night  on  a  message  to  Joseph  Wolff,  to 
obtain  money  from  him  if  he  could.  Dr.  Wolff  told  him  to  go  and  bring  a  note 
from  Ameer  Abul  Kasem,  and  then  he  would  give  him  money.  He  said,  "  You 
have  taken  fifty  pieces  of  gold  and  a  shawl,  and  you  are  not  satisfied."  The  son 
of  Ameer  Abul  Kasem  confessed  in  my  presence  that  they  had  obtained  one  horse, 
one  shawl,  as  well  as  money  at  different  times  from  Joseph  Wolff.  Before  the 
Ameer  Achur  he  said,  they  had  neither  had  horse,  shawl,  nor  money.  The  Ameer 
Achur  came  ;  he  concealed  me,  Abdul  Wahab*,  while  Ameer  Abul  Kasem  said  to 
the  Ameer  Achur,  "  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  either  money  or  shawl."  The 
Ameer  Achur  replied,  "  Last  night  your  son  confessed,  in  the  presence  of  Mirza 
Abdul  Wahab,  that  his  father  had  obtained  one  shawl  and  fifty  pieces  of  gold." 
Ameer  Abul  Kasem  saw  that  it  was  no  use  denying  it.  He  could  not  help  saying, 
"  Well,  I  did  have  them."  The  Ameer  Achur  said,  "  Why  did  you  act  thus?  you 
have  been  lying  ;  and  lies  will  not  do  in  dealing  with  Europeans."  Ameer  Abul 
Kasem  replied,  "  I  am  sorry  for  what  I  have  done." 

From  Deh  Mulla  we  proceeded  six  parasangs  to  Damaghan,  and  stayed  outside 
the  city.  Thence  we  went  forward  four  parasangs  very  pleasantly,  to  the  city  of 
Dowlat  Abad,  and  lodged  outside  the  castle.  Thence  we  went  nine  parasangs, 
and  reached  Ahuwan,  and  lodged  in  the  caravanseray  at  Shah  Abbas.  Next  we 
went  six  parasaugs  to  the  city  of  Samnan.  Joseph  Wolff  was  here  treated  with 
great  honour,  and  lodged  in  the  royal  palace.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  and  the  Bok- 
harese ambassadors  lodged  within  the  city.  We  remained  one  day  to  rest  ourselves, 
and  then  advanced  six  parasangs.  Joseph  Wolff  lodged  in  the  castle  at  Laskird, 
in  a  house  which  heaven  seemed  to  have  provided  for  him.  Hence  six  parasangs 
brought  them  to  the  town  of  Deh  Namak.  Joseph  Wolff  lodged  in  the  castle,  and 
Abbas  Kouli  Khan  outside  the  city.  In  seven  parasangs  more  we  arrived  at 
Geshlak,  and  halted  at  the  side  of  a  river.  From  Geshlak  Joseph  Wolff  went  with 
Mullah  Mehdee,  and  all  his  own  servants.  Abbas  Kouli  Khan  too  went  from 
Geshlak,  advancing  six  parasangs  to  the  city  of  Aburanak.  At  last,  after  seven 
parasangs  they  arrived  at  one  city  ;  after  twenty  parasangs,  they  reached  another  ; 
and  then  after  four  more,  they  came  into  the  country  of  Teheraun. 


III. 

Digest  of  English  Policy  relative  to  Asiatic  States  ; 
BY  CAPTAIN  CONOLLYf. 


May  the  Lord  render  easy  (this  attempt,)  and  may  it  be  well  finished. 

To  my  Friend  the  Prince,  Lord  of  the  Kingdom  of  Khwarazm. 

AFTER  salutation  and  benediction,  O  Friend,  in  conformity  with  your  wish, 
I  have  put  in  order,  briefly,  the  circumstances  of  the  English  Government  with 

*  Here  Abdul  Wahab's  words  are  illegible.    J.  W. 

t  This  important  document  was  given  to  Dr.  Wolff  by  order  of  the  Ameer  of  Bokhara. 


APPENDIX.  373 

the  kingdoms  of  Hindustaun,  Affghanistaun,  Iraun  (Persia),  and  Russia.  When 
they  ('the  circumstances)  have  reference  to  proximity,  to  distance,  or  to  the  places 
of  Turkistaun,  this  sketch  may  prove  of  use  to  you  as  a  memorandum  ;  and  I  en- 
treat of  Your  Majesty  to  investigate  the  correctness  of  it,  as  well  by  comparing  it 
with  historical  books,  as  by  questioning  every  one  who  may  possess  a  due  acquaint- 
ance with  the  above  above-named  countries,  and  a  (certain)  person*  may  be  un- 
biassed. 

But  the  men  of  Turkistaun,  for  the  most  part,  had  not  heard  of  the  English 
people  till  half  a  year  ago,  when  intelligence  arrived  that  they  (the  English)  had 
sent  a  large  army  to  Candahar  and  Cabul,  and  had  driven  out  the  rulers  of  those 
countries,  in  the  cause  of  Shah  Shuja-al-Mulk  Durrani,  the  former  King  of  Aft- 
ghanistaun,  who  had  been  during  some  years  a  guest  of  those  (English)  people  in 
Hindustaun.  Moreover,  that  after  assisting  and  succouring  Shah  Kamran  in  the 
affair  of  the  siege  of  Heraut  by  the  Kajar  army,  they  had  dispatched  one  of  their 
chiefs  to  Heraut,  who  for  a  length  of  time  expended  much  money  in  repairing  the 
walls  of  the  citadel,  as  well  as  in  restoring  the  cultivation  (of  the  lands)  which  tho 
Kajar  army  had  devastated. 

After  various  rumours,  the  report  gained  ground  to  this  effect,  "  That  Shah 
Shuja-al-Mulk  was  a  puppet  in  the  hands  of  the  English,  whose  sole  aim  it  was  to 
seize  for  themselves  all  the  region  of  Affghanistaun,  either  by  force  or  bribery  ;  and, 
also,  that  they  wish  to  get  all  other  countries,  a  smuch  as  possible,  like  as  they  had 
brought  the  kingdoms  of  Hindustaun,  one  province  after  another,  into  their  posses- 
sion, till  they  had  rendered  themselves  absolute  sovereigns  of  that  region.  Besides 
this,  that  they  ought  to  break  down  (overthrow)  the  religion  of  Muhammed,  so  that 
they  may  abolish  the  Mussulmaun  Institutes." 

Yet,  my  patron !  the  real  state  of  the  affairs  of  the  Indian  Government,  iu 
Affghanistauu  and  in  Turkistaun,  was  not  rightly  ascertained ;  but,  at  length,  these 
reports  of  the  common  people  obtained  credit :  the  foundation  of  which  may  be  re- 
ferred to  the  enemies  of  the  Government  (may  it  be  durable  !)  of  the  servants  of 
Shah  Shuja-al-Mulk,  and  their  ally  which  the  English  Government  is.  The  cir- 
cumstances, which  I  shall  here  relate,  are  solely  for  the  purpose  of  manifesting 
and  proving  the  falsity  of  those  reports,  by  means  of  exhibiting  the  correctness  of 
conduct  which  the  English  have  maintained  in  every  country  above  named,  from 
the  beginning  to  the  present  time. 

In  the  first  place,  let  your  mind  be  applied  to  a  consideration  of  these  circum- 
stances in  the  countries  of  Hindustaun.  One  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  a  com- 
pany, in  mercantile  business,  of  the  English  people,  who  at  that  time  had  become 
one  of  the  richest  and  most  eminent  of  the  nations  of  Europe,  by  reason  of  the 
extent  of  commerce  which  they  possessed  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  obtained 
the  permission  of  the  Emperor  Aurang  Zeb,  Sovereign  of  Delhi,  and  a  descendant 
of  Sultan  Babar  of  Farghana ;  and  to  settle  in  his  country  they  got  leave  to  build 
a  port  for  themselves  at  Calcutta,  which  was  then  an  insignificant  village,  near  the 
salt  sea  of  Hindustaun  ;  and,  in  a  short  time,  through  the  collecting  together  of 
wealth,  which  is  always  the  consequence  of  commerce,  that  little  village  was  con- 
verted into  a  great  city.  Some  years  previous  to  the  English  becoming  settled  in 
Calcutta,  they  had  obtained  two  other  ports  also  on  the  sea  coast  of  India,  one  of 
which  was  named  Madras,  and  the  other  Bombay.  Several  European  nations,  in 
like  manner,  for  the  convenience  of  their  trade  in  the  country  of  Hindustaun,  had 

*  This  may  allude  to  the  Prince  addressed,  as  if  the  writer  trusted  he  would  judge  impartially. 


374 


APPENDIX. 


appropriated  and  established  ports  for  themselves  ;  the  Rulers  and  Rajahs  of  Hin- 
dustaun  assenting,  and  desiring  that  the  Europeans  should  form  ports  in  their 
dominions  for  the  purpose  of  trade,  because  they  were  sensible  of  a  general  benefit 
to  themselves  from  the  transit  of  merchandise.  Moreover,  as  the  above-mentioned 
nations  paid  all  the  expenses  of  forming  their  ports,  they  became  wholesale  pro- 
prietors of  their  ports  ;  so  much  so  that  they  had  the  right  to  make  exchanges  and 
tranferences  one  with  another :  in  this  way,  the  port  of  Madras,  which  a  Rajah 
of  the  Hindus  had  granted  to  the  English,  and  which  remained  some  years  in  the 
hands  of  another  European  nation  called  French,  and  the  port  of  Bombay  which 
had  originally  been  given  to  a  trading  nation,  called  Portuguese,  and  which  had 
been  in  their  possession  for  the  period  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  years,  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  English. 

It  is  also  well  known  that,  after  the  decease  of  Aurang  Zeb,  the  power  and 
splendour  of  the  descendants  of  Timur  in  Hindustaun  turned  to  decline  for  the 
space  of  ninety-five  years ;  so  that  the  fifth  Emperor  of  Delhi  after  the  said  de- 
ceased emperor,  that  is  Shah  Aulam,  became  entirely  subdued  and  vanquished,  and 
deprived  of  sight  by  the  hands  of  an  assemblage  of  Hindu  Rajahs  called  Marhattas. 
At  this  time  the  whole  space  of  Hindustaun  became  the  theatre  of  war,  slaughter, 
and  devastation.  In  the  mean  time,  the  chiefs  of  Hindus  and  Mussnlmauns,  every 
one  of  whom  was  seeking  his  own  advancement  as  well  as  the  ruin  of  others,  and 
foreign  nations,  as,  for  example,  the  Persians  in  the  invasion  of  Nadir  Shah,  and 
the  Affghauns  in  the  invasion  of  Ahmad  Shah  Durrani,  seeing  the  opportunity  fa- 
vourable to  themselves,  made  inroads  into  those  delightful  regions :  yet,  for  the 
space  of  fifty  years  after  the  death  of  King  Aurang  Zeb,  the  English  people  keeping 
aloof  entirely  from  those  contests  remained  at  their  posts,  transmitting  their  mer- 
chandize to  England  as  well  as  other  ports. 

Afterwards,  in  those  times,  some  enemies  from  amongst  the  people  of  Hindustaun, 
who  were  envious  of  the  fortune  and  prosperity  of  them  (the  English)  and  ignorant 
of  their  means  and  resources,  unjustly  made  an  attack  on  them  ;  but,  previous  to 
that  violence  of  their  enemies,  the  English  had  built  for  themselves  the  port  of  Cal- 
cutta. The  English  chiefs  there  made  application  for  peace  and  ease  ;  and  as  they 
had  no  other  resource,  they  at  last  solicited  aid  from  their  own  Sovereign.  For  a 
while,  those  unjust  people  became  victorious,  but  eventually,  by  the  right  of  war, 
the  English  took  possession  of  their  territory  for  retaliation  and  future  protection. 
During  some  years,  from  the  increase  of  the  burning  fire  of  the  envy  of  other  chiefs, 
who  were  less  near,  they  found  enough  to  do ;  for,  continually,  new  and  fresh  ene- 
mies sprang  up  against  them.  The  English  chiefs  wished  for  and  sought  no  war  j 
yet  remained  always  prepared  to  repel  aggression,  and  by  divine  favour  they  caused 
to  break  (or  fail)  every  insurrection  or  attack  of  their  opponents,  till  forty  years  ago, 
when  having  routed  the  forces  of  the  Marhattas,  before  noticed,  they  beheld  them- 
selves masters  of  the  greatest  portion  of  India. 

Some  chiefs  of  Hindustaun,  at  a  more  early  epoch,  contracted  friendship  and 
formed  alliance  with  the  English  State,  through  favour  of  which  they  remained  un- 
touched :  at  length,  those  who  remained  contracted  with  them  the  bonds  of  friend- 
ship, sat  under  their  State,  became  tributaries,  and  bound  themselves  by  promises  to 
commit  the  arbitration  of  all  differences  amongst  themselves  to  the  supreme  English 
Government.  Some,  too,  whose  territories  were  more  remote  and  away  from  the 
frontiers  of  the  English  State,  made  peace,  saying,  "  we  will  remain  in  onr  own 
independence  ;"  yet  they  promised  that  the  countries  appertaining  to  the  En<rli<;ii 
State  should  in  no  wise  be  molested.  Of  this  kind  was  latterly  Ranjit  Singh,  tU 


APPENDIX.  375 

Sovereign  of  the  Sikh  nation ;  and  though  formerly  the  AfFghauns  were  dominant 
over  the  Sikhs,  yet  in  these  latter  years,  Ranjit  Singh  having  become  victorious, 
many  of  the  provinces  of  those  people  are  come  under  his  sway,  by  reason  of  the 
domestic  quarrels  which  have  sprung  up  among  the  Affghauns. 

In  the  manner  just  now  described,  the  town  of  Calcutta,  which  had  been  raised 
solely  for  the  purpose  of  trade,  by  reason  of  the  violence  and  injustice  of  the  oppo- 
nents and  the  ignorant  people  of  the  other  provinces  of  India,  very  soon  became  a 
new  great  (seat  of)  empire,  and  one  of  the  multitude  of  various  foreign  provinces  of 
the  English  State.  Under  the  shade  of  this  exalted  State,  the  country  of  Hindu- 
etaun  has  remained  happy  and  prosperous  in  every  way :  and  an  army  of  two  hun- 
dred thousand  renowned  regulars,  together  with  materials  for  war  in  perfect  con- 
dition, which  the  English  Government  keeps  continually  reauj'.  is  at  most  times 
occupied  in  military  discipline  against  the  day  of  need,  lest  any  foreign  foe  should 
appear.  And  you  must  not  form  the  idea  that  whatever  tribute  the  English  Gov- 
ernment receives,  they  collect  it  for  the  purpose  of  transmission  to  the  treasury  in 
England ;  that  is  not  the  case :  the  tribute  and  revenues  of  India  are  expended  in 
the  government  and  for  the  advantage  itself  of  that  country.  The  profits,  which 
the  English  people  derive  from  the  possession  of  that  rich  country,  are  such  produce 
in  various  ways,  as  results  from  the  complete  enjoyment  of  its  commerce. 

The  English  Government,  however  able  to  do  it,  never  meddles  or  interferes  in 
the  usages  or  the  laws  of  the  various  people  and  nations  of  the  natives  there ;  for 
which  reason  those  people  remain  content  and  happy.  By  conjecture,  a  seventh 
part  of  their  subjects  in  that  country  are  Mussulmauus,  the  rest  mostly  Hindus  ;  a 
few  however  are  Jews,  and  Christians,  and  some  others,  as  for  instance  the  fire- 
worshippers.  In  regard  to  all  the  religious  rights  and  temporal  customs  of  the  peo- 
ple of  Islam,  the  law  is  fixed  according  to  the  rule  of  their  ancient  institutes,  but  in 
cases  of  doubt  and  of  calling  for  evidence,  the  Muhammedan  Cazis  and  Mullahs, 
are  summoned  to  explain  and  direct  the  suit.  The  Brahman  law  too,  which  applies 
to  the  greater  portion  of  the  above-named  people,  is  established  according  to  their 
ancient  practice  and  customs :  and  to  all  the  subjects  they  (the  English)  have  given 
protection,  free  from  bias  or  partiality.  Each  individual  enjoys  like  privileges  with 
the  whole  body  of  the  State  ;  they  give  not  preference  to  any  one  over  another. 
The  Government,  too,  never  interferes  in  the  religious  matters  of  its  numerous  and 
mixed  subjects,  unless  for  the  purpose  of  warding  off  disturbance,  which  possibly 
might  be  occasioned  by  the  quarrelling  of  the  different  sects,  for  the  English  confess 
that  there  is  One  who  owns  the  right  of  judgment  with  regard  to  the  consciences 
and  belief  of  man,  viz.  God  Almighty,  the  Creator :  and  from  this  sentiment  they 
act,  with  all  caution  and  forbearance,  in  the  point  of  religion  everywhere.  There- 
fore, Your  Majesty,  my  friend,  will  decide  as  to  what  degree  of  truth  there  can  be 
in  the  saying  that  they  intend  to  advance  their  power  only ;  as  far  as  concerns  the 
Mussulmaun  faith  it  is  a  mere  calumnious  invention,  to  which  artful  people  give 
publicity  for  their  own  purpose :  and  the  assertion  is  wholly  false,  that  when  at  any 
time  their  temporal  goods  are  consumed,  they  labour  to  get  possession  of  their  neigh- 
bour's property,  by  exciting  war  and  strife.  Forty  years  ago,  when  the  English 
chiefs  vanquished  the  multitude  of  Hindus,  the  Marhattas,  as  has  been  noted  before, 
they  found  the  blind  and  helpless  emperor,  the  descendant  of  Timur,  viz.  Shah 
Aalam,  in  the  hands  of  the  merciless  plunderers.  At  that  time  what  was  their 
conduct  towards  that  descendant  of  ancient  friend  Aurang  Zeb?  They  brought 
him  back  to  the  city  of  Shahjahanabad,  and  settled  on  him  and  his  posterity,  from 
generation  to  generation,  imperial  titles  and  revenues. 


376  APPENDIX. 

Again,  if  that  Friend,  or  His  Majesty,  will  now  turn  his  regard  towards  Rttm,  the 
Turkish  Empire,  he  will  there  see,  that  the  English  Government  having  formed  an 
alliance  with  the  Government  of  Russia,  as  well  as  with  those  of  other  of  the  greatest 
nations  of  the  Christians,  have  leagued  together  to  strengthen  and  support  the  Turk- 
ish Empire,  which  is  the  most  eminent  of  the  present  Mussulmaun  States  ;  since  it 
is  apparent  that  the  ruin  and  breaking  up  of  the  Turkish  Empire  would  produce 
trouble  in  the  kingdoms  of  Europe  adjoining  to  Turkey.  These  are  matters  which 
have  no  connexion  with  sect  or  creed,  but  that  which  the  Almighty  has  directed, 
•when  He  commands  all  the  people  of  the  earth  to  live  in  peace  and  equity  one  with 
another  ;  and  in  the  opinion  of  the  considerate  and  wise,  like  that  Friend,  or  Your 
Majesty,  (i.  e.,  the  person  addressed,)  a  history  like  that  last  recounted  will  have 
superior  value  ove  a  hundred  vague  reports,  however  artfully  fabricated  or  dis- 
seminated. 

Now  be  pleased  to  turn  the  attention  to  the  conduct  and  procedure  of  the  English 
State  in  Iraun,  Persia,  and  Affghanistaun.  Near  forty  years  ago,  a  very  powerful 
people  of  Europe,  named  the  French,  who  at  that  time  carried  on  war  with  the 
English  nation,  formed  the  design  of  stirring  up  trouble  and  commotion  in  Hindu- 
staun  ;  but  as  the  way  by  sea  was  closed  by  the  ships  of  war  of  the  English,  a  body 
of  the  French  by  land  assembled  on  the  frontiers  of  Persia,  in  order  that  from  that 
quarter  they  might  make  an  attack  on  Hindustaun.  Futt  AH  Shah  was  friendly 
disposed  towards  the  English  Government,  and  as  he  did  not  perceive  that,  in  in- 
juring them,  any  advantage  would  accrue  to  himself,  he  refused  the  request  of  the 
French  nation  ;  he  made  an  agreement  with  the  English  Government,  that  on  no 
account  would  he  admit  that  hostile  nation  into  the  kingdom  of  Persia.  During 
eight  years  Futt  Ali  Shah  remained  faithful  to  this  promise ;  but  at  the  close  of 
this  period,  the  French  sent  a  message  to  this  effect,  that  if  he,  the  King  of  Persia, 
would  befriend  them,  they  would,  for  mutual  protection,  make  war  on  the  Russians, 
who  were  alike  enemies  to  the  Persian  and  French  Governments.  The  English 
Government  at  that  time  was  not  able  to  assist  the  King  of  Persia,  because  it  was 
at  peace  with  the  Russian  Government.  Futt  Ali  Shah,  not  knowing  the  exact 
state  of  feeling  of  his  former  friends,  the  English,  brought  several  French  officers  to 
his  capital  of  Teheraun,  and  requested  that  they  would  commence  instructing  and 
exercising  the  Persian  army  according  to  the  rules  of  European  warfare.  At  that 
time,  the  English  Government  thought  it  necessary  to  construct  an  additional  bar- 
rier for  the  security  of  Hindustaun  :  accordingly,  Envoys  were  sent  on  the  part  of 
the  Government  of  India  to  the  Court  of  the  chief  of  the  Dummies,  Shah  Shuja-al- 
Mulk,  who  at  that  time  ruled  over  the  whole  country  of  Affghanistaun  ;  a  treaty 
was  entered  into  with  that  king,  to  the  intent  that,  whenever  it  should  be  necessary, 
the  two  Governments  of  Affghanistaun  and  India  should  unite  for  the  purpose  of 
driving  back  and  opposing  the  Guzl-bashis  and  their  European  associates.  The 
English  Envoys  took  leave  of  Shah  Shuja-al-Mulk  and  returned  towards  India ; 
but  before  they  had  had  time  to  cross  the  frontier  of  Shah  Shuja-al-Mulk's  country, 
that  Sovereign  had  been  dethroned  by  his  own  brother  Mahmud  Shah.  The  Eng- 
lish Government  rendered  no  assistance  at  that  time  to  Shah  Shuja,  because  he 
wished  that  it  should  not  interfere  with  the  domestic  quarrels  of  the  Affghaun  na- 
tion ;  he  merely  wished  that  it  should  unite  with  the  Affghauns  in  repelling  or  at- 
tacking foreigners.  But  as  the  English  Envoys  had  been  treated  with  honour  and 
respect  at  the  Court  of  Shah  Shuja-al-Mulk,  the  English  Government  afforded  that 
Sovereign  royal  protection  in  India,  where,  as  an  honoured  guest,  he  resided  for  the 
space  of  thirty  years. 


APPENDIX.  377 

After  these  events  in  Affghanistaun,  which  have  just  been  explained,  the  King 
of  Persia  saw  that  the  French  were  not  able  to  afford  him  the  necessa/y  assistance 
in  his  war  with  Russia  ;  he  therefore  sent  away  the  French  officers,  and  renewed 
his  engagement  with  the  English  Government.  It  so  happened,  that  during  thia 
interval  the  English  Government  had  also  become  hostile  to  that  of  Russia,  and  it 
considered  that  the  Persians  would  be  a  valuable  obstacle  to  the  Russians ;  there- 
fore they  agreed  to  a  treaty  in  these  terms,  "  that  the  warlike  stores  of  Futt  Ali 
Shah  should  be  prepared  in  the  best  manner  ;  they  supplied  him  with  officers  who 
should  instruct  his  army  in  the  mode  of  managing  European  guns,  and  also  with 
arms  ;  they  agreed  also  to  pay  him  a  yearly  allowance  of  two  hundred  thousand 
tomauns,  by  way  of  assisting  him  in  his  preparations,  so  long  as  he  should  be  at 
war  with  any  European  nation,  and  provided  that  the  fault  lay  with  that  nation 
(and  not  with  him.")  The  French  unavoidably  abandoned  the  design  in  India 
which  they  had  entertained.  The  English  officers,  who  were  first  sent  to  Persia  for 
the  purpose  of  instructing  the  Guzl-bashis,  along  with  that  corps,  fought  several 
battles  with  the  Russians  ;  after  four  years  these  hostilities  were  put  an  end  to,  be- 
cause the  English  Government  again  became  on  a  friendly  footing  with  the  Rus- 
sians, and  effected  a  reconciliation  between  the  Emperor  and  the  King  of  Persia. 
From  that  time  to  the  present,  the  English  and  Russian  Governments  have  con- 
tinued on  friendly  terms  with  each  other.  The  king  of  Persia,  however,  made  war 
with  the  Russians,  confiding  in  his  own  strength,  by  which  he  lost  several  of  his 
most  valuable  provinces,  which  lie  northwards  to  the  shores  of  the  Caspian  Sea.  By 
conquering  these  provinces,  the  Russian  Government  acquired  considerable  power 
over  the  remainder  of  the  Persian  dominions ;  the  English  Government  had  fore- 
seen this  result,  and  had  repeatedly  advised  the  King  of  Persia  not  to  contend  (with 
the  Russians),  because  in  extent  of  dominion,  and  the  means  of  making  war,  they 
were  far  superior  to  the  Persians.  Futt  Ali  Shah,  however,  disregarded  this  friendly 
advice  of  the  English  ;  and  the  latter,  from  a  sense  of  justice,  were  not  able  to  do 
anything  more,  though  they  saw,  that  they  would  necessarily  suffer  from  the  con 
fusion  as  to  the  limits  of  the  Persian  Empire,  and  the  diminution  of  its  authority. 

Hence  it  is  plain  and  evident,  that  the  practical  wisdom  of  the  English  Govern 
ment  is  exercised  merely  for  its  own  preservation  ;  and  by  considering  this  matter 
it  is  seen  and  established,  that  the  affairs  which  have  lately  occurred  in  Aff 
ghanistaun,  rendered  it  necessary  that  the  English  Government,  as  often  hap- 
pens, should  well  consider  the  position  and  circumstances  of  the  Saduzai  Gov- 
ernments. 

Some  years  after,  Shah  Mahmud  had  deprived  Shah  Shuja  of  his  Government, 
the  former  murdered  his  minister,  Fath  Khan  Barakzai,  at  the  time  that  the  nu- 
merous brothers  of  that  minister,  having  become  rebellious,  were  acting  with  op- 
pression in  all  the  provinces  of  the  Affghaun  Government,  with  the  exception  of 
Heraut,  which  was  held  by  the  Prince  Kamran  ;  and  when  Shah  Mahmud  found 
that  his  power  was  insufficient  to  recover  his  country,  he  took  up  his  abode  in  the 
city  of  Heraut,  until  the  time  of  his  death.  Several  times  after  Shah  Shuja-al- 
Mulk  had  retired  into  India,  he  was  extremely  anxious  to  recover  his  kingdom,  but 
he  had  no  treasure  with  which  to  enlist  an  army  for  that  purpose,  and  his  English 
hosts,  true  to  their  word,  neither  assisted  him  with  men  nor  money ;  in  fact,  foui 
years  before  this,  the  English  Government  had  no  idea  that  Shah  Shuja-al-Mulk 
would  again  acquire  authority  in  Affghanistaun,  and  at  that  period  it  sent  an  En- 
voy, named  Mr.  Alexander  Burnes,  into  that  country,  in  order  that  he  might  estab- 
lish a  friendly  relationship  with  the  various  chiefs  who  were  exercising  government 

48 


378  APPENDIX. 

there  ;  and  that  the  trade  of  India  might  be  freely  exercised,  and  extended  over  the 
countries  to  the  west  of  the  rivers  Abbok  and  Indus.  The  Barakzai  chiefs  wel- 
comed Mr.  Alexander  Burnes,  because  they  hoped  on  all  sides,  that  they  might  at- 
tain their  objects  by  the  assistance  of  other  Governments  ;  for  example,  the  Barak- 
zai brothers,  of  Kandahar,  because  they  dreaded  the  King,  wished  for  aid  that  they 
might  ruin  him,  and  take  possession  of  his  country ;  and  the  principal  ruler  of  Cabul, 
Dost  Muhammed  Khan,  particularly  desired  assistance,  that,  by  means  of  it,  he  might 
bring  under  his  rule  the  province  of  Peshawar,  which  Ranjit  Singh,  the  ruler  of  the 
Sikhs,  had  in  war  taken  from  his  brother ;  and  that,  by  this  means,  he  might  raise  him- 
self in  Affghanistaun.  To  all  the  requests  that  the  chiefs  made  to  Mr.  Alexander 
Burnes,  that  gentleman  replied,  that  from  the  very  first  day  of  intercourse  with  the 
Affghaun  nation  ;  that  is,  during  the  space  of  twenty-eight  years,  the  English  Gov- 
ernment had  carefully  abstained  from  any  interference  in  its  internal  disputes,  and 
certainly  as  to  himself  he  had  no  wish  to  be  mixed  up  with  them  in  any  way.  Mr. 
Burnes  further  explained,  that  the  Government  of  India  was  only  desirous  that  its 
trade  should  be  increased  by  means  of  the  chiefs  ruling  Affghanistaun  at  that  time, 
and  that  it  hoped  that  these  chiefs  would  respect  each  other's  rights,  and  live  to- 
gether in  peace  and  security  ;  otherwise,  it  would  not  be  possible  that  trade  could 
be  beneficially  established  with  their  country.  Again,  Mr.  Alexander  Burnes  said, 
the  English  Government  had  no  authority  to  request  Ranjit  Singh,  who  was  a 
Sovereign  possessed  of  independent  power,  to  restore  a  country  which,  in  open  war- 
fare, he  had  taken  from  his  former  enemies  ;  but  that  the  English  Government  was 
ready  to  effect  a  peace  between  the  Sikhs  and  the  Affghauns,  so  that  there  might 
be  no  recurrence  of  hostilities  between  them,  and  that  Dost  Muhammed  Khan 
might  remain  peaceably  in  his  present  position.  The  Barak/ai  chiefs  were  not 
satisfied  with  these  replies  of  Mr.  Burues  ;  and  previous  to  his  coming  into  Aff- 
ghanistaun, they  had  hoped  that  they  might  obtaiu  their  wishes  by  the  assistance 
of  Muhammed  Shah  Kajar,  to  whom  they  had  written  petitions  in  the  style  of  de- 
pendents, saying,  "  As  the  King  of  Persia  was  justly  the  heir  to  all  the  provinces 
of  Affghanistaun,  they  entreated  that  he  would  march  and  assist  them,  his  slaves, 
in  their  opposition  to  both  Shah  Kamran  and  the  Sikhs."  At  the  same  time,  all 
the  chiefs  preferred  the  aid  of  the  English  to  that  of  the  Persians  ;  they  therefore 
waited  some  time,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  whether  or  not  they  could  obtain 
the  help  of  the  Europeans.  Mr.  Alexander  Burnes,  however,  always  told  them, 
that  the  English  Government  did  not  make  promises  ;  therefore,  having  no  hope  of 
assistance  from  that  quarter,  they  then  became  busily  engaged  in  their  arrangement 
with  the  Persians.  Muhammed  Shah  wrote  to  the  Candahar  chiefs  and  told  them, 
"  that  if  they  would  aid  and  assist  the  Kajar  army,  so  that  Heraut  might  be  taken, 
the  King  of  Persia  would  grant  their  request,  provided  they  would  only  attend  him 
to  that  place."  He  sent  a  message  also  to  Dost  Muhammed  Khan,  saying,  "  After 
the  approaching  New-year's  day,  the  King  of  Persia  will  send  you  an  army,  so  that 
you  may  settle  matters  with  the  Sikhs." 

The  English  Government  became  thoroughly  acquainted  with  these  matters  ;  be- 
cause, on  the  one  hand,  the  Barakzai  Chiefs  showed  Muhammed  Shah  Kajar's  let- 
ters to  Mr.  Burnes,  in  order  that  they  might  provoke  him  ;  and  on  the  other  hand, 
when  the  Envoy  of  the  English  Government,  who  was  present  at  the  Court  of  Mu- 
hammed Shah  Kajar,  asked  the  servants  of  that  King  as  to  the  purport  of  these 
writings  and  promises,  he  was  told,  that  from  a  remote  period,  the  country  of  Aff- 
ghanistaun had  been  connected  with  Persia,  and  that  the  petitions,  which  on  this 
understanding  the  Chiefs  before  mentioned  had  written,  were  shown  to  him.  When 


APPENDIX.  379 

matters  came  to  this  point,  it  became  very  necessary  that  the  English  Government 
should  make  a  decided  arrangement  for  its  own  protection  ;  accordingly  it  clearly 
intimated  to  the  Government  of  Cabul,  "  England  will  not  permit  you,  by  any  strat- 
agem, and  merely  to  gratify  your  hatred  and  promote  your  designs,  to  inflame  the 
Affghaun  nation  by  means  of  the  Kajar  King ;  nor  will  it  allow  you  to  bring  a  Guzl- 
bash  army  for  the  purpose  of  creating  disturbance  and  commotion  on  the  borders  of 
India :  if,  therefore,  you  do  not  put  an  end  to  this  treachery,  the  English  Govern- 
ment will  give  its  assistance  to  the  Sadozai  King,  Shah  Shuja-al-Mulk,  who,  from 
the  first,  was  the  cause  of  the  friendship  existing  between  the  Governments  of  India 
and  Affghanistaun,  and  who,  no  doubt,  will  act  in  a  just  and  manly  manner  to- 
wards both  countries."     By  these  means  it  became  perfectly  clear  that  King  Mu- 
hammed  Shah  Kajar,  by  any  right  or  possession,  had  no  authority  over  any  one  in 
the  Durrane  country  ;  therefore,  his  claim  was  considered  by  Shah  Kamran  as  an 
affair  between  two  separate  and  independent  rulers.     The  commencement  of  this 
affair  occurred  not  a  year  before  this  happened ;  therefore  it  is  necessary  to  recur  to 
the  circumstances  of  that  period.    When  Abbas  Mirza,  the  heir  apparent  of  Persia, 
manifested  a  design  of  assembling  an  army  at  the  point  of  Heraut,  the  English 
Envoy,  who  was  in  attendance  on  Futt  Ali  Shah,  asked  what  was  intended  by  it ; 
and  that  since  the  plain  intention  of  the  treaties,  which  the  English  Government 
had  entered  into  with  the  Governments  of  Persia  and  Affghanistaun,  was  to  in- 
crease the  security  of  India,  it  was  at  all  times  important  that  the  English  Envoy, 
who  resided  at  the  Court  of  Teheraun,  should  be  well  acquainted  with  all  the  af- 
fairs of  the  King  of  Persia,  lest,  by  any  of  those  affairs,  the  designs  of  the  English 
Government  should  in  any  way  be  thwarted.     Futt  Ali  Shah  replied,  "  That  the 
object  of  that  expedition  was,  that  Abbas  Mirza  might  completely  prevent,  and  put 
a  stop  to,  a  system  of  plunder,  and  the  selling  of  human  beings,  which  were  carried 
on  by  several  of  the  dependencies  of  Heraut,  in  connection  with  the  Turkomauns 
of   Mowr,  and  the  neighbouring  places."     The   English   Envoy  then  answered, 
"  That  as  the  King  of  Persia  was  an  independent  sovereign,  the  English  Govern- 
ment allowed  that,  when  another  nation  acted  with  violence,  oppression,  or  even 
incivility  towards  either  his  country  or  subjects,  he,  the  King  of  Persia,  had  a  per- 
fect right  to  obtain  redress  by  force  of  arms  ;  but  as  the  English  Government  was 
at  peace  with  the  Affghauns,  it  could  not  permit  war  in  any  part  whatever  of  the 
Affghaun  dominions  ;  on  this  account,  therefore*  the  English  gentleman,  who  be- 
longed to  the  Kajar  army,  did  not  in  that  expedition  attend  the  Deputy  of  Persia 
(i.  e.  Abbas  Mirza).      For  the  same  reason,  after  the  accession  of   Muhammed 
Shah,  the  English  Envoy,  who  constantly  resided  at  his  court,  in  the  same  man- 
ner, asked,  "  What  was  the  reason  for  the  assembling  of  an  army  on  the  bor- 
ders of  Khorassaun,  and  the  adjacent  countries  ?"     He  was  told  the  object  was, 
that  the  "  King  (of  Persia)  might  accomplish  those  designs  which  his  father  had 
commenced."     At   this   time,   also,   the   gentlemen  of  the  English  Government 
were  not  supplied  with  any  other  answer  than  that  which  they  had  before  given  to 
Futt  Ali  Shah. 

After  a  little  time,  however,-the  events  which  have  been  already  mentioned  oc- 
curred ;  then,  quite  another  story  was  told  ;  when  the  English  Envoy  first  spoke  to 
the  servants  of  Muhammed  Shah  Kajar  respecting  the  affair  of  Heraut,  the  latter 
personage  confessed  that  he  should  be  well  pleased  to  make  peace,  and  he  gave 
his  consent  that  that  Envoy,  who  was  entitled  "Minister  Plenipotentiary,"  and 
whose  name  was  Mr.  Mac  Neil,  should  be  a  mediator  in  the  affair.  And  when 
Shah  Kamran  saw,  that,  although  Heraut  was  a  strong  fort,  yet,  from  the  abun- 


380  APPENDIX. 

dance  of  artillery,  and  the  superior  manner  in  which  the  Kajar  army  was  equip- 
ped, it  must,  ultimately,  be  taken  and  destroyed,  he  likewise  was  willing  that 
the  be  fore -mentioned  Minister  Plenipotentiary  and  Envoy  should,  by  means  of 
negotiation,  settle  his  affairs  :  therefore,  Mr.  Mac  Neil  used  his  best  efforts  to 
bring  the  business  of  Heraut  to  an  amicable  conclusion.  He  thought  and  con- 
sidered, that  an  army,  which  comes  to  make  war  in  a  country,  or  to  besiege  a 
city,  whether  in  the  end  it  succeed  or  not,  by  the  ruin  and  confusion  which  it 
inflicts  on  all  the  inhabitants,  is  able  in  one  month  to  destroy  the  cultivation  and 
population  of  a  thousand  years  ;  and  that,  by  the  great  injury  (it  does)  to  the 
Government,  it  will  destroy  the  wealth  and  power  which,  in  (their)  prosperity, 
the  inhabitants  may  have  acquired.  Again,  wherever  a  "  torch  from  the  fire  of 
war  bears  a  spark,"  no  person  can  calculate  how  far  it  will  consume. 

After  much  correspondence  with  the  servants  of  the  two  Governments  at 
Meshed,  Teheraun,  and  Heraut,  Mr.  Mac  Neil  obtained,  from  Shah  Kamran 
himself,  a  written  agreement  to  this  effect :  "  That  the  taking  away  slaves  from 
the  borders  of  Persia,  and  selling  them,  should  cease,  and  that  all  anxiety  and  hos- 
tility should  be  completely  stopped  and  ended  ;  further,  that  every  Guzl-bash  slave 
in  the  country  of  Heraut,  as  far  as  was  possible,  should  be  restored  (to  his  country), 
and  that  proper  protection  and  treatment  should  be  observed  towards  all  Persian 
merchants  and  travellers  who  might  arrive  at  Heraut."  And  in  order  that  the 
cause  of  anger  and  alarm,  which  had  brought  Muhammed  Shah  to  these  parts, 
might  be  set  aside,  Mr.  Mac  Neil  declared,  "  If  the  King  of  Persia  would  at  once 
desist  from  the  siege  of  Heraut,  and  stop  the  war,  he  would  affix  the  seal  of  the 
English  Government  to  the  written  declaration  of  Shah  Kamran  as  a  security  (for 
the  fulfilment  of  that)  declaration  of  the  King  of  the  Saduzais."  But  Muhammed 
Shah  then  said,  "  That  he  would  be  satisfied  with  no  other  conditions,  than  that 
the  whole  of  the  people  of  Heraut  should  be  subject  to  the  Government  of  Persia." 
When  Mr.  Mac  Neil  distinctly  stated,  that  the  English  Government  reckoned  the 
Affghauns  a  completely  free  people,  and  considered  them  as  the  first  barrier  in  be- 
half of  India  ;  and  as  the  King  of  Persia,  by  his  unwillingness  to  give  even  neces- 
sary answers  on  the  subject  of  Heraut,  and  by  his  dealings  with  the  Barakzai 
Chiefs,  had  plainly  shown  that  it  was  his  intention,  by  his  own  means,  to  break 
down  that  barrier,  and  diminish  the  security  and  tranquillity  of  India,  the  English 
Government  would  prevent  his  designs  by  all  the  means  that  it  thought  proper. 

Agreeably  to  this  declaration,  the  following  message  of  comfort  was  despatched 
to  the  men  in  the  fort  of  Heraut :  "  You  will  receive  aid  and  assistance  from  the 
English  Government :  therefore,  at  all  hazards,  you  must  continue  to  fight  and  not 
give  up  the  fort."  And  as  the  Barakzai  Chiefs  showed  no  fear  or  concern  at  the 
statements  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  English  Government,  the  Government  of  India 
necessarily  assisted  Shah  Shuja-al-Mulk,  that  he  might  again  recover  Candahar  and 
Cabul.  At  that  time,  also,  the  English  Government  dispatched  an  army  from  India  by 
sea  ;  it  landed  on  an  island  called  Kharak,  near  the  port  of  Bushir  (in  the  Persian 
Gulf),  which  belonged  to  the  Government  of  Persia.  When  the  King  (of  Persia) 
obtained  intelligence  of  these  affairs  he  withdrew  his  army  from  the  siege  of  Heraut 
with  the  exception  of  some  (men)  who  retained  possession  of  Ghorian,  and  two  or 
three  other  places  which  belonged  to  Heraut.  The  English  Government  stated, 
"  That  it  would  not  remove  its  army  from  the  island  of  Kharak  until  the  Persians 
restored  Ghorian,  and  the  other  dependencies  of  Heraut,  to  Shah  Kamran."  There- 
fore, by  reason  of  this  declaration,  the  Governments  of  Persia  and  England  have 
had  no  intercourse  with  each  other. 


APPENDIX.  381 

At  last  comes  the  subject  of  the  English  Government  interfering  with  the  affairs 
of  Affghanistaun.  When  the  Government  of  India  promised  Shah  Shuja-al-Mulk 
that  it  would  give  him  its  assistance,  in  gaining  possession  of  the  countries  of  Cabul 
and  Candahar,  that  Government  explained  to  that  illustrious  Sovereign,  that  it 
merely  wished  to  see  the  AlFghaun  nation  strong  and  firm  in  its  own  authority,  and 
that  it  had  no  desire,  in  any  way,  to  interfere  with  the  internal  arrangements  of  his 
country  ;  but  that,  in  serving  him,  it  did  wish,  that  as  Shah  Kamran  had  displayed 
great  energy  in  the  defence  of  Heraut,  the  Government  of  Shah  Shuja  should  ac- 
knowledge the  distinct  authority  of  that  province  of  the  Affghaun  (Empire).  To 
this  Shah  Shuja  consented  ;  a  treaty  was  entered  into  accordingly,  and  the  Govern- 
ment of  India  set  about  fulfilling  its  engagement.  From  the  first,  it  was  agreed 
that  the  English  army  should  remain  no  longer  in  Shah  Shuja's  country  than  might 
be  considered  advisable  for  the  purpose  of  restoring  order  to  that  unsettled  country, 
or  the  warding  off"  any  external  injury,  which  (otherwise)  might  be  adverse  to  the 
interests  of  India  and  AfFghanistaun.  According  to  this  agreement,  the  English 
army  was  to  return  whenever  Shah  Shuja  might  think  proper.  Afterwards,  in  or- 
der that  the  empire  of  Cabul  might  in  future  be  secured  from  any  external  attack, 
the  English  Government  was  willing  to  give  to  tte  Durrani  King  the  same  assist- 
ance which,  during  the  last  few  years,  it  had  given  to  the  King  of  Persia ;  namely, 
that  several  officers  should  be  lent  to  him,  for  the  purpose  of  instructing  his  army 
and  remaining  in  attendance  upon  him. 

On  the  subject  of  the  money  which  the  English  nation  expended  in  Heraut,  and 
which  was  mentioned  at  the  commencement  of  this  letter ;  that  money  was  expended 
in  consequence  of  the  English  sending  a  message  to  the  effect,  "  that  although  ruin, 
might  befal  the  inhabitants  of  Heraut,  still  they  were  to  manage  to  take  care  not  to 
surrender  the  fort."  In  truth,  sums  of  money  were  on  this  account,  expended  by 
Mr.  Tod,  who  was  the  special  English  Envoy  at  the  Court  of  Shah  Kamran  ;  and 
(in  fact)  the  English  Government  has  faithfully  performed  whatsoever  it  was  bound 
to  do,  with  regard  to  the  desolation  caused  by  the  Kajars ;  but  no  sum  of  money 
would  be  adequate  to  remedy  the  ruin  and  confusion  caused  by  the  attack  of  the 
Kajar  army,  and  years  must  pass  away,  before  a  single  inhabitant  of  Heraut  can 
sit  beneath  the  shade  of  a  tree.  May  God,  the  Most  High  and  Benevolent,  avert 
such  a  terrible  desolation  from  all  other  countries  !  It  is  equally  advantageous  to 
the  Aflfghauns  as  to  the  English,  that  the  whole  of  Turkistaun  should  remain  free 
and  unembarrassed  ;  and  the  Affghaun  and  English  Governments  are  willing  to  as- 
sist in  this  object,  provided  the  Uzbeck  chiefs  will  be  friendly  with  them,  and  will 
act  with  justice  and  equity  towards  other  Governments.  There  are  only  two  na- 
tions— namely,  the  Russians  and  Persians — who  it  is  thought  wish  to  change  the 
present  state  of  Tiirkistaun  ;  unless  the  practice  of  rushing  upon  and  capturing 
their  people,  which,  up  to  this  time,  the  dependencies  of  the  Usbeck  Government 
have  practised,  shall  be  completely  slopped.  It  is  good  that  this  vile  practice  should 
be  abolished.  With  regard  to  any  nation  that  may  have  had  the  power  and  oppor- 
tunity of  putting  a  stop  to  such  a  custom,  and  yet  always  refuses  to  do  so,  and 
whenever  the  demand  for  justice  shall  not  be  sufficient,  (then)  there  are  only  two 
remedies  ;  either  to  make  an  attack  on  the  principal  cities  of  the  chiefs  who  allow 
their  subjects  to  commit  such  acts  of  oppression,  or  to  limit  their  boundaries,  and 
take  possession  of  such  places  as  that  from  them,  the  offending  people,  may  be  re- 
strained by  force.  There  is  no  room  to  doubt  that  the  Russian  Government  has  the 
power  to  apply  its  own  remedy  ;  hence  the  Sovereign  of  that  magnificent  Empire 


382  APPENDIX. 

has  clearly  shown  that  he  wishes  to  increase  its  power,  whenever  it  may  be  neces- 
sary (to  employ  it),  for  the  protection  of  his  people. 

According  to  the  notion  of  this  Friend  (».  e.  the  Writer),  the  Persians  will  be  able 
to  apply  their  remedy,  whenever  they  may  collect  their  forces,  and  return  towards 
Turkistaun.  Now  I  proceed  to  state,  in  your  presence,  several  reasons  for  my  em- 
bracing this  opinion.  The  bravery  and  courage  of  the  Usbecks  and  Turkomauns 
are  well  known  to  the  whole  world  ;  but  at  present  they  do  not  possess  the  warlike 
stores  which  the  Persians  have,  and  can  easily  procure  ;  and  the  experience  of 
many  years  and  of  different  countries  has  completely  established  (the  fact)  that  a 
numerous  body  of  horsemen,  armed  with  swords  and  undisciplined,  cannot  stand 
against  a  park  of  fire-scattering  artillery  and  a  few  brave  but  disciplined  men.  (It 
is  my)  opinion  that  the  power  of  the  Persian  Government  is  greater  than  what  the 
people  of  Turkistaun  imagine.  For  some  years  that  Government  (the  Persian)  has 
been  in  an  unsettled  state,  principally  in  consequence  of  external  wars,  attended 
with  immense  expense,  which  the  Kajar  King  has  had  on  every  side  ;  but  now  that 
he  is  at  peace  with  his  two  ancient  and  powerful  enemies,  viz.,  the  Russian  and 
Turkish  Governments,  it  is  only  necessary  for  him  to  cast  his  eye  over  the  numer- 
ous provinces  and  large  cities  which  are  now  comprised  within  his  Empire,  that  ho 
may  be  convinced  that  only  a  small  amount'  of  peace  and  order  is  required,  and  he 
would  quickly  become  rich  and  powerful.  And  with  regard  to  the  military  force 
which  the  King  now  possesses,  it  is  clear,  when  two  years  ago  he  had  it  in  hia 
power  to  bring  to  the  siege  of  Heraut  an  army  of  forty  thousand  men  and  eighty 
mounted  guns,  that  it  cannot  be  reckoned  less  now.  Again,  up  to  the  time  of  Mu- 
hammed  Shah's  last  dispute  with  the  English  Government,  respecting  the  affairs  of 
Affghanistaun,  the  commanders  and  instructors  of  the  Persian  army  were  English- 
men, who  again  withdrew,  and  at  times  when  their  services  were  most  wanted,  be- 
cause they  could  not  make  war  on  the  friends  of  the  English  Government.  This 
circumstance  happened  at  the  commencement  of  the  war  which  the  Government 
of  Persia  had  with  the  Governments  of  Russia  and  Turkey,  and  also  on  both  occa- 
sions when  Abbas  Mirza  and  Muhammed  Shah  led  their  armies  into  the  country  of 
Heraut ;  therefore,  the  power  and  capability  of  the  Kajar  army  have  not,  as  yet, 
been  well  ascertained.  And  besides,  Abbas  Mirza,  on  his  last  expedition  into  Kho- 
rassaun  and  the  countries  adjacent,  showed,  notwithstanding  the  disordered  state  of 
his  country,  that  the  brave  Guzl-bashis  were  capable  of  rendering  effective  service  ; 
and  without  doubt,  if  the  English  Government  had  not,  in  several  ways,  used  its 
exertions,  they  would  not  have  driven  back  the  army  of  Muhammed  Shah  from 
Heraut.  The  country  of  Persia  is  contiguous  to  all  the  countries  of  Europe  ;  and, 
from  them,  the  Kajar  King  can  at  all  times  procure  the  best  of  arms,  also  com- 
manders and  instructors  in  proportion  to  his  ability  to  pay  them,  who,  having  prop- 
erly arranged  his  army,  and  provided  they  were  not  prevented  by  treaty,  would  be 
willing  to  make  war  whenever  the  King  of  Persia  might  send  them.  In  truth,  it 
is  well  known  that  after  his  last  separation  from  the  English  Government,  Muham- 
med Shah  procured  from  the  French,  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  science  of 
war,  muskets  for  thirty  thousand  brave  (men),  and  several  commanders  for  the 
purpose  of  instructing  his  army.  In  consequence  of  the  English  gentlemen  not 
continuing  in  Persia  after  what  had  occurred  at  Heraut,  I  am  not  acquainted  with 
the  present  state  of  the  army  of  that  country  ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  that  Muham- 
med Shah  will  put  it  in  order  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  Turkistaun  ;  it  may  be, 
that  he  will  not  come  this  spring,  or  during  the  next  summer,  but  he  will  certainly 


APPENDIX.  383 

come  soon  ;  therefore,  I  consider  it  very  necessary  and  important  that  the  Uzbeck 
Chiefs  should  consider  and  make  proper  arrangements  for  future  events. 

From  the  observations  (already)  written,  you  will  have  discovered  that  the  Eng- 
lish Government  does  not  wish  either  the  Kajar  or  Russian  nation  to  go  beyond 
their  present  limits  in  the  direction  of  India  ;  not  because  of  any  feeling  of  hostility 
that  it  entertains  towards  those  nations,  but  merely  as  a  matter  of  precaution  ;  and 
it  is  necessary,  that  this  observation  should  be  well  understood  before  we  prove  it ; 
the  Persian  nation  especially  should  be  told  on  the  contrary,  that  regarding  the  af- 
fairs of  Affghanistaun,  the  English  Government  was  on  perfectly  friendly  terms 
with  the  King  of  the  Kajars,  and  exerted  itself  that  his  Empire  should,  by  every 
means,  obtain  honour  and  prosperity.  Even  now  the  English  entertain  no  feeling 
of  enmity  towards  the  Guzl-bash  nation  (the  Persians) ;  and  as  to  the  dispute  be- 
tween Muhamtned  Shah  (Kajar),  it  has  an  intimate  connection  with  the  rights  of 
Kings  (in  general) ;  and  when  this  affair  shall  be  settled,  no  cold-heartedness  will 
remain  between  the  two  Governments.  The  English  wish  that  this  reconciliation 
should  speedily  take  place,  because  enmity  and  disunion  are  a  source  of  injury  to 
any  State.  The  English  will  at  all  times  be  anxious  that  Persia  should  be  happy 
and  prosperous  within  her  present  limits  ;  (they  will  desire  this),  on  account  of  the 
ancient  friendship  which  they  have  maintained  with  the  Kajar  Government,  as 
well  as  their  own  peculiar  benefit ;  for,  when  (Persia)  is  at  rest,  and  in  easy  cir- 
cumstances, her  trade  with  England  and  India  is  of  considerable  value. 

During  the  last  two  years,  however,  the  King  of  Persia  has  been  pleased  to 
obtain  his  own  objects  without  considering  whether  he  was  injuring  or  benefit- 
ing the  English  ;  and  as  the  Persians  have  now  become  more  or  less  dependent 
on  other  nations,  and  at  some  period  will  probably  be  excited  to  interrupt  the 
tranquillity  of  India — under  these  circumstances,  the  English  Government  can- 
not consent  that  the  frontier  of  Persia  should  be  extended  to  the  eastern  side  of 
Khorassaun. 

On  the  subject  of  the  Russians. — When  the  English  for  a  short  time  had  a 
dispute  with  the  Russians,  and  afterwards  exercised  caution  and  watchfulness  lest  a 
future  injury  should  arise  (from  it),  some  people  thought  that  the  English  enter- 
tained a  secret  feeling  of  enmity  to  them  ;  and  others,  that  the  Russians  had  a  de- 
sign on  India ;  but  (all)  these  ideas  were  wrong :  the  truth  of  this  particular  matter 
is  this,  that  from  the  time  when  the  English  and  Russian  Governments  made  a  re- 
newal of  treaties,  during  a  period  of  twenty-eight  years,  they  entertained  the  same 
feeling  of  friendship  towards  each  other,  and  the  welfare  of  each  Government 
became  united  by  the  great  amount  of  trade  which,  between  the  two  countries, 
was  flowing  towards  Europe  from  the  side  of  the  Black  Sea  ;  and  this  is  the 
beat  of  ties,  because  it  cannot  be  broken,  except  with  complete  injury  to  both 
parties. 

In  the  different  countries  which  intervene  between  their  respective  boundaries, 
eastwards,  the  English  and  the  Russians  have  an  equality  of  trade,  and  therefore  it 
may  sometimes  happen,  that  one  or  two  individuals  will  strive  to  increase  the  power 
of  the  Government  to  which  they  belong  in  an  unwarrantable  manner  ;  for  in- 
stance, in  the  last  affair  with  Affghanistaun  the  Russian  Ambassador  who  was  at 
that  time  stationed  at  the  Court  of  Persia,  and  the  Envoy  of  the  same  nation,  who 
was  sent  to  Cabul  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  best  means  whereby  to  in- 
crease the  trade  between  that  country  and  Russia,  both  associated  themselves  with 
Muhammed  Shah,  and  the  Barakzai  Chiefs,  whose  designs  and  wishes  they  la- 
boured to  accomplish  ;  but,  as  soon  as  the  Emperor  of  Russia  was  informed  of  what 


384  APPENDIX. 

they  had  done,  he  disavowed  the  acts  of  both  his  servants,  and  after  recalling  them, 
.dismissed  them  from  their  employments ;  (and)  as  at  the  same  time,  the  King  of 
England  approved  of  what  the  Emperor  had  done,  it  became  quite  evident  to  the 
whole  world,  that  mutual  friendship  existed  between  them.  Besides  this,  that 
Friend  (i.  e.  His  Majesty)  has  himself  seen  to  what  extent  the  Emperor  of  Russia 
showed  kindness  to  the  servants  of  the  English  Government,  who  in  those  days 
proceeded  from  Khiva  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  peace  between  the  Govern- 
ments of  Russia  and  Khwarazum.  May  God,  the  Most  High,  grant  that  the 
friendship  and  unity  of  the  English  and  the  Russians  may  never  again  suffer  in- 
terruption. 

But,  as  we  have  before  shown,  altercation  has  happened  between  the  two  Gov- 
ernments, and  may  possibly  occur  again  |  because,  with  regard  to  affairs  which 
were  under  human  observation,  no  person  in  this  unstable  world  can  predict  what  a 
single  day  may  bring  forth.  Nations  that  are  at  war  will  strive  to  injure  each 
other  in  every  way :  so  that  the  English  saw,  that  when  the  French  wished  to  in- 
jure them  in  India,  it  became  therefore  only  an  act  of  prudence  that  a  barrier 
should  be  formed  on  the  frontier  of  their  dominions,  to  prevent  their  sustaining  any 
harm  from  the  attacks  of  foreigners. 

The  Russians  also  exercised  a  similar  degree  of  caution.  The  best  protection 
that  India  would  have,  would  be  a  collision  between  the  Persian  and  Russian  Gov- 
ernments. Notwithstanding  the  powerful  and  friendly  Governments  which  exist 
between  the  h'mits  of  the  English  and  Russian  Governments,  this  is  quite  certain, 
that  the  Eiiglish  Government  would,  with  men  and  money,  assist  in  protecting  and 
putting  the  Affghauns  into  a  proper  state  of  defence  ;  for  the  same  reason,  it  wishes 
that  the  TTzbeck  States  should  be  completely  free  and  independent  of  Persia  and 
Russia  ;  nay  more,  that  they  should  be  prosperous,  and  (sufficiently)  strong  to  keep 
in  their  possession  the  places  which  properly  belong  to  them.  Therefore,  the  Eng- 
lish Government  will  at  all  times  be  ready  and  willing  to  become  the  cause  of  peace 
and  concord  between  the  Uzbeck  States  and  any  of  the  nations  before  mentioned  ; 
by  this  means  also,  it  wishes  to  increase  its  friendship  with  the  Uzbeck  States  ;  and 
by  exchanging  the  profits  of  trade  between  India  and  Turkistaun  by  means  of  the 
Affghauns,  the  English  Government  wishes  to  have  friendship  with  both  these  na- 
tions, and  that  they  should  both  derive  benefit  from  this  trade.  The  English  do 
not  tell  the  Uzbecks  to  consider  the  Russians  and  Persians  as  enemies,  and  that 
they  should  trade  and  have  intercourse  only  with  the  English ;  on  the  contrary, 
they  tell  the  Uzbecks  that  they  should  make  those  nations  their  friends,  by 
forming  with  them  just  and  proper  treaties  with  respect  to  the  rights  both  of  rulers 
and  people  ;  nay,  more,  they  tell  them,  that  with  regard  to  trade,  they  should, 
without  partiality,  act  alike  towards  all  foreign  nations,  and  should  allow  them  to 
derive  every  advantage  from  the  intercourse,  and  that  they  are  able  to  supply  them 
with  the  best  and  cheapest  goods. 

Now,  be  pleased  to  pardon  the  trouble  I  have  occasioned  you,  together  with 
the  boldness  of  these  pictures,  as  well  as  errors  and  omissions  of  their  style  ! 
Because  my  Mirza  Husaiui  was  weak  and  helpless,  and  therefore  I  had  no 
remedy,  but  to  describe  my  mission  myself.  Being  the  well-wisher  of  this  State, 
and  also  of  the  Uzbeck  States,  I  have  without  ceremony,  written  according  to 
the  measure  of  my  knowledge. 

Finally,  it  is  necessary  the  Uzbecks  should  well  consider  their  own  power  and 
well-being  ;  and  whatsoever  is  to  happen  is  in  the  hand  of  God ! 


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